When The Tides Change
by ByTrueChance
Summary: Set in PLL Season 3. It's been two months since Emily escaped near death at the hands of a psychopathic stalker who presumably killed her first true love, Maya. But in Rosewood, things aren't always what they seem. There is a storm brewing over the horizon that has, and still is, causing the tides to change. Can true love withstand the changing of the tides?
1. Chapter 1

All characters belong to ABCFamily's Pretty Little Liars. I own nothing. This is rated M just to be safe. Enjoy.

When The Tides Change, Chapter 1

It was a beautiful morning for a run through the woods and Emily was loving the different colored leaves that surrounded the dirt path. Emily glanced over her shoulder to see Paige falling in step just behind her. She loved days like this. The sun was shining through the trees and there was a delicate chill in the air. All signs that Fall was quickly approaching, and Emily was definitely looking forward to the change in season. Emily was pulled from her thoughts when she felt a hand touch her shoulder. "We're here." Paige said, slowing her pace and trying to catch her breath. Emily slowed to a stop and turned to look at her. She was smiling as she nodded her head in the direction of a small clearing just off the path. Emily followed her eyes and a saw a blanket lay out with a picnic basket in the middle. Off to the side, was another blanket neatly folder. Emily turned to her girlfriend with a bright smile. "I thought you might be hungry after the run, so…" Paige said with a soft smile and looking shyly into Emily's eyes.

Emily stood still for a moment, looking adoringly at her girlfriend. _How did I get so lucky? _ Emily thought to herself. Paige always seemed to know what Emily wanted and needed. She was always there and always knew the right words to say to make Emily feel like she could make it through anything. Paige was her rock and she loved her for it. Emily walked toward Paige with a smile so bright that it touched her eyes and made them sparkle. Paige's smiled widened at the obvious happiness that shined in the beautiful brown eyes of the girl she loved with her whole heart. Emily stopped right in front of her, making sure to only leave a couple of inches between her and her girlfriend. With her smile still in place, Emily leaned in and placed a soft lingering kiss on her lips. She could feel Paige's eagerness to deepen the kiss but she pulled away still leaving only a couple of inches of space between their lips. "Thank you" she whispered before leaning in and kissing her girlfriend again. This time she let Paige have her way, and slid her tongue teasingly into her mouth. Paige smiled into the kiss causing Emily to smile as well. They pulled apart and Emily gently grabbed her hand and led her over to the clearing. As she walked with Paige's hand tight in her own, Emily couldn't help but notice the rays of sunlight that peeked the trees just beyond the clearing. She felt so at peace for the first time in months. _I love days like this_ Emily thought happily to herself.

Meanwhile…

"Caleb! Are you freaking crazy?! You can't be in here!" Hanna whispered excitedly.

"Relax Han. No one saw me" he smiled at the obviously flustered girl.

Hanna put her hand to her forehead, before grabbing her boyfriend's hand and dragging him into the bathroom stall. "I think this is illegal. It's a woman's bathroom for God's sakes!" She whispered still excitedly but now a little worriedly as well.

Caleb looked at his worried girlfriend. He placed a serious look on his face and said "Hanna, you need to calm down and try to live a little." Hanna was not convinced by the fake seriousness she heard coming from her boyfriend's mouth, especially since he failed to hide the amusement flashing in his eyes.

"You think this is funny?" Hanna asked, placing her hand on her hip and looking up at him with total attitude.

Caleb laughed and pulled her closer to him by her waist. She protested slightly but quickly gave up and let her body rest against his. "Look, I woke up early this morning to have breakfast with my girlfriend so the least she can do is give me three minutes. Then I'll leave and go order the food" he said with a devilish grin.

"No, you need to go now before someone comes in here and…" she was quickly cut off by the sudden pressure on Caleb's lips on hers. Hanna felt herself relaxing in his arms and felt Caleb smiling into the kiss. Hanna pulled back only slightly and said "you now have two minutes" with a smile that matched his. They both laughed gently and Hanna put her arms around his neck while kissing his lips again.

_BANG!_ The bathroom door went flying open and slamming into the wall. Hanna and Caleb looked at each other with spooked expressions and started frantically looking around the stall. Hanna thought she was having a panic attack and held her chest. Caleb quietly hopped up on the toilet seat crouching down so you could not see his head above the stall door and walls.

"This is bullshit! Wait, hold on!" Jenna fumed.

Caleb pulled Hanna up on the toilet seat with him just before Jenna bent down to look under the stalls to be sure she was alone. Hanna looked at Caleb with a still shocked expression and covered her mouth. She pulled her hand away long enough to mouth _Jenna_ and quickly put it back over her mouth. Caleb put his finger to his lips, signaling her to stay quiet.

When Jenna didn't see any feet in the stalls, she angrily went back to her phone conversation. "What the hell do you mean? It's only been one damn day." Jenna lowered her voice after the initial outburst. "Augh, why the hell couldn't that moron, Nate, just disappear after he served his purpose" she seethed out as more of a statement than a question. "I don't give a damn what his name was. He was an idiot!" Jenna tried to control her shout by slamming her hand on the bathroom sink. "There's no telling what he left behind that will link him to us." Jenna put her hand to her head for a moment. She then dropped her it again, straightened herself up and tried to breathe, calmly. "Fine, when and where?" she asked a little calmer now. "I'm not at home; I'm at the Grille so I need a little time" she said. "What? One hour? Come on; I need just a little more time than that. Give me two hours? It's 8:00 now so by 10:00?" Jenna's voice had gone from angry to pleading. "Thanks. We'll be there. Bye" Jenna said, ending the call and placing the phone in her purse. She placed both hands on the sink and leaned against it with her head down. "Fuck, fuck, fuck" she muttered through clenched teeth, shaking her head from side to side. She slowly lifted her head and a tear rolled down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away, straightened her outfit and combed her fingers through her hair. Jenna took one last look at herself in the mirror, turned on her heels and walked out of the bathroom.

Caleb slowly got down bringing Hanna with him. "What the hell did Jenna mean by Nate serving his purpose and being linked to her?!" Hanna asked with wide eyes while Caleb peeked outside the stall door to make sure no one else had come in.

"I have no idea, but who do you think she was talking to?" Caleb asked back.

Hanna's eyes widened. "You don't think it was A? Do you?" she asked a bit scared. Caleb turned and gave her a look that answered her question. Without a word, Hanna pulled out her phone and started texting: **S.O.S. MY HOUSE, NOW!** She quickly hit send. "Caleb, you have to follow her. I'll meet the girls at my house; then meet up with you before 10:00" Hanna said hurriedly.

Caleb looked at her questioningly. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked.

"Caleb, she might be meeting A. We have to. Plus, she said something about being linked to Nate. What if she helped him? What if the person she was talking to did? What if it's the same person that's been harassing us? " Hanna rambled on.

"Okay, let's do it" he said with a sigh.

"Just be careful and stay out of sight. We don't know who we're dealing with yet" she cautioned him.

"I'll be fine. Trust me" he assured her with a warm smile and a gentle kiss on the lips before cautiously leaving the bathroom.

Caleb spotted Jenna at the counter paying for food. She had a too-go-bag and a cup holder with two coffees in her hand. He stayed hidden around the corner until she exited the café. He quickly followed but stayed inside until he saw her climb into her blue mustang. When she pulled away from the curb, he ran to his car, hopped in, and started his pursuit. He made sure to stay several car lengths behind her. After driving for about 3 miles, she pulled into the parking lot of a motel that was located on the edge of Rosewood. He drove pass the motel instead of turning into the lot so he wouldn't raise her suspicion. He pulled over just up the road; far enough so she wouldn't see him but close enough to still see her car. He quickly pulled out his phone texted Hanna:** At a motel. I think she's meeting someone. She has food for two****_._** He hit send, leaned back in his seat and waited.

Jenna got out of the car and hesitated for a moment before closing the car door. _I can't do this. This is not fair. Fuck, none of this is right_. Jenna shook herself out of her thoughts and made her way into the motel lobby, and to the elevators. She didn't want to think anymore right now. She just needed to get to the room and do this. When she got to her floor, she quickly made her way to the room, remembering that she didn't have much time. Once inside, she put the food on the small table by the door and headed straight for the bedroom. She opened the door slowly and her whole mood lifted at what she saw. She walked up to the bed quietly and gazed down at the beautiful sleeping girl. The girl's skin looked like smooth milk chocolate against the crisp white sheets. Her soft curls haloed around her head, and flowed down her back and shoulders with a few strands falling over her brow. The dark beauty had such a peaceful look that Jenna couldn't help but smile. Jenna slowly and quietly took off her jacket and purse, and lowered herself onto the bed, resting her head on the pillow right next to the sleeping girl. A soft smile touched her lips as she lifted her hand to the girl's face, gently brushing the wayward strands of hair away from the girl's brow. Jenna watched as she stirred and her eyes fluttered open. The dark beauty turned to her and smiled softly before leaning forward and placing a delicate kiss on her lips. When she pulled back, her eyes were questioning as a frown formed on her face.

Jenna noticed it right away. "What's wrong, Maya?" she asked softly, slightly concerned by the girl's sudden change in demeanor.

Maya frowned again while looking Jenna up and down. "Why are you dressed?" she asked with disappointment in her voice. Jenna laughed and slipped her hand behind Maya's neck, pulling her in for a passionate kiss. Maya pulled back first, studying her girlfriend. "I'm waiting" she said looking at Jenna through her lashes as a devilish smirk formed on her lips. Jenna couldn't resist her when she looked at her like that, and Maya knew it.

"I went…" *Kiss* "...to get…" *Kiss* "…Maya…" *Kiss* "…some food." *Kiss* *Kiss* Jenna pulled herself away and jumped out of bed. "Come eat and, don't bother getting dressed" she called over her shoulder to a now really aroused Maya. Maya was on her feet with her arms around Jenna's waist from behind before she even reached the door.

Maya pulled Jenna close to her and had to tiptoe to whisper in her ear. "I will eat later. Right now, I need something else" she purred, letting her lips lingering just below Jenna's ear. Jenna felt a shudder run through her entire body as Maya's warm breath tickled her neck. Maya's hands slipped under the front of Jenna's shirt, her fingertips making delicate drawing patterns on her belly. She pressed her lips against Jenna's neck and smiled as a small moan escaped Jenna's lips.

Jenna knew she was defeated. Maya was going to get whatever she wanted; there was no use in resisting. "What does my Maya need, right now?" Jenna managed to breathe out as her breathing was becoming irregular.

Maya smiled devilishly. She loved when Jenna referred to her in the third person. That usually meant that she could have anything she wanted. "Your Maya needs her Jenna to get naked and make love to her…right now" Maya let her voice drop low and deep at the last part.

Jenna couldn't take it anymore and with one swift movement, turned herself in Maya's arms so that they were face to face. She kissed Maya hard which caused Maya to stumble back a bit, pulling Jenna with her. Both she and Maya ripped at her clothes as they stumbled towards the bed. When her clothes were off, her hands tangled themselves in Maya's soft hair. Maya grabbed onto to Jenna's waist and spun her around before they fell on the bed so that Maya landed on top; never breaking the kiss.

Jenna knew that she should tell Maya what needed to happen in the next hour and a half but she couldn't do it. The beautiful girl hovering above was glowing in the moment. Jenna couldn't tell her; not in this moment.

Please review.


	2. Chapter 2

Hi everyone. Thank you all for your reviews. Yes, I promise this is an Emaya story but a lot has happened and sacrifices have been made. Wounds have to be dealt with it and worked out if true love has any chance of surviving. Enjoy :)

Chapter 2

Hanna paced the floor of her kitchen with her one armed wrapped around her mid section and the other resting on it as she nibbled on her thumbnail. She was becoming increasing annoyed at the fact that no one responded to text or came to her house yet, even though she sent the text 40 minutes ago.

Every time she walked by her cell phone that was laying on the counter, she would stare at it, as if she was waiting for it to do something. Finally and now thoroughly frustrated, she stopped and reached for her phone. Just as she was about to dial, she heard knocking at the front door. "About damn time!" she huffed, stomping off into the living. She swung the door open to find a not so perky Spencer leaning against the doorframe.

"Where the heck were you? I sent the text like 40 minutes ago. Doesn't anyone know what the heck S.O.S. means anymore?" she rambled on, completely flustered.

Spencer straightened up and walked in, totally ignoring her rambling friend. She stopped next to Hanna and turned her head slightly to look at her. "Coffee" was all she said and kept walking towards the kitchen. Hanna through her hands in the air with a huff; then slammed the door shut and followed her into the kitchen. Spencer went straight to the kitchen counter, sat on a stool, put her arms on the counter and let her head drop into her arms.

Hanna walked in next and went to the coffee maker. Thank God that she knew her friends because she had a fresh pot of coffee already brewed. She grabbed a cup from the cupboard and started pouring the coffee. Just as she finished, she heard another knock at the front door. She placed the cup in front of Spencer, making enough noise to get her attention. Spencer raised her head slowly and Hanna rolled her eyes, turned and went to the door. Once again, she flung the door open dramatically and was completely ready to go on her "what the heck?" ranting spree when Aria pushed right past her.

"I'm so sorry Han. My mom wouldn't let me out of the house until I answered like a thousand questions. She's still totally freaked about the Lyndon James thing," she said, looking at her friend apologetically. Hanna just sighed, closed to the door and waived her hand toward the kitchen. Aria gave her a weak smile and walked into the kitchen. She went over to Spencer and took a seat right next to her while studying her seemingly passed out friend. "Long night?" she asked.

Spencer raised her head and reached for her coffee. She took a sip and before she could answer, Hanna came stomping into the kitchen. "Where the heck is Emily? Did either of you talk to her this morning?" she asked frustrated.

"Nope" Spencer said, shaking her head tiredly.

"I haven't" Aria answered.

Just then, Hanna's phone started vibrating on the counter and she hurried over to it. "This better be her," she said, snatching the phone off the counter. "Shit. It's Caleb" she sighed, pressing the accept call button.

"Hanna, where the hell are you guys? Jenna could leave at any moment," Caleb asked, sounding a little annoyed. But why wouldn't he be? He's been sitting in his car for nearly an hour, watching a blue mustang.

"We're waiting for Emily. If she's not here in five minutes, we're leaving. Where exactly are you?" she asked.

"It's a small motel on Pennstate Road. It's called Lehigh Inn," he answered.

"Okay, we'll be there soon. Just keep watching her and Caleb, be careful," she cautioned him once again.

"I will. See you soon and I mean very soon," he made sure to put emphasis on the "very" and hung up.

Hanna sighed and closed her eyes briefly as she hung up the phone. When she opened them again, she found Aria and Spencer staring at her with puzzled expressions on their faces. "Who is 'she'?" Spencer asked with suspicion in her voice.

"Yeah, who is Caleb watching?" Aria asked next with the same amount of suspicion.

"And why?" Spencer chimed in.

Hanna looked back and forth between her friends. "Okay, fine. It's Jenna," she sighed.

"Jenna?" they questioned in unison.

"Look, I'll tell you more when Emily gets here, if she gets here," Hanna said worriedly.

"I really don't think Emily needs anymore drama right now, especially if it involves Jenna," Aria cautioned with wide eyes.

"Well, I don't want to bother her with this either but she has to know. I learned the hard way not to leave her out of stuff, especially if it involves Maya," Hanna countered while crossing her arms.

Aria and Spencer looked at each other with wide eyes and half opened mouths; then quickly looked back at Hanna. Before any one of them could speak, there was a knock at the front door. "Augh, finally!" Hanna said, uncrossing her arms and throwing them in the air as she turned to walk out of the kitchen. She flung the door open to find Emily bent over with her hands on her knees, breathing heavily.

"This better be important." Emily panted, still trying to catch her breath. She straightened up and walked past Hanna and headed straight for the kitchen in desperate need of water. Hanna closed the door with her eyes down cast. She really didn't want to bring Emily into this but what choice did she have?

Emily walked into the kitchen and gave a half-hearted wave to Aria and Spencer as she made her way to the refrigerator. She opened it and pulled out a bottle of water; then closed it again. She leaned her back up against the refrigerator door and drank deeply from the bottle.

Hanna hurried into the kitchen and grabbed her cell phone and keys off the counter. "Okay, let's go. I'll explain everything in the car," she said hurriedly.

Emily followed her first, then Aria. As Spencer was walking out of the kitchen, Hanna stopped her. "Wait, you're not bringing that in my car," she motioned to the cup of coffee in Spencer's hand.

"But, I need my coffee," Spencer whined with a pout. Hanna rolled her eyes and took the cup from her. She went to the cupboard and pulled out a thermos that her mom sometimes took to work. She poured the coffee into it and topped it off with more from the coffee pot.

Hanna turned around and shoved the thermos at Spencer. "Now, let's go already" she commanded, walking past her and the other girls.

All four girls climbed into Hanna's car, Spencer in the passenger seat and Aria and Emily in the back. Hanna started the car and took a deep breath as she prepared herself to recount the events of that morning.

Mean while…

Maya collapsed on top of Jenna and rolled onto her back with Jenna's arms still wrapped around her waist. Jenna moved with her not willing to let her go. She pulled Maya closer and let her leg drape over hers. She panted against the smooth curve of Maya's neck trying to catch her breath as her body came down from the climax. Maya smiled, nuzzling her nose into her hair and kissing the top of her head. She waited patiently, holding Jenna tightly until her breathing was back to normal.

"Sooo, are you going to tell me what you've been hiding from me from the moment you walked in the room?" Maya asked gently stroking Jenna's hair.

Jenna closed her eyes tightly and buried her face deeper into the crook of Maya's neck. She couldn't stop the tears that were welling up in her eyes. "Maya…" her voice broke and Maya could feel the warm tears against her skin.

Maya held her tighter. "Baby, tell me," she whispered with her lips pressed against her hair. She knew that whatever Jenna had to tell her wasn't good but she couldn't stand seeing it tear her up like this. Maya hated seeing Jenna hurting or scared.

Jenna took a couple of deep breaths before she finally found her voice. "You have to leave, Maya…" she choked out just above a whisper. She could feel Maya's breathing hitch so she continued knowing what her next question would be. "The police reopened your case. They found evidence that makes them think that Nate either had an accomplice or was working for someone. Maya, if they dig too deep…" The fear in Jenna's voice made Maya's heart hurt.

Maya didn't bother correcting her on the name; that was so insignificant right now. She just held Jenna tighter. She knew this was bad, really, really bad. This could destroy everything that they all made so many sacrifices for. It also meant weeks, maybe months of Maya in isolation again. Stuck in some hole somewhere cut off from everything and everyone. She would look forward to the periodic drop off of supplies, just to have some human contact. It meant no Jenna; instead it would be day after day of missing her family, wallowing in her regrets and pondering the "what ifs" and "whys". But the worst would be the endless longing for Emily. Giving her up was Maya's deepest regret, no matter how much she tried to convince herself that she did the right thing. When she was with Jenna, she didn't think of Emily as often but the minute she was alone, all she did was think of her.

Jenna looked up at Maya's face and saw her eyes focused on the ceiling. She knew she was thinking and didn't really know what to say next. Maya had to leave and be in isolation again. She knew Maya hated being alone and she hated not being with Maya. It was so unfair. None of it was right. _She doesn't_ _deserve this_. Jenna thought to herself bitterly as she hugged her tighter.

"When do I leave?" Maya asked just above a whisper.

Jenna looked over at the clock on the nightstand that read 9:15 and then nestled her face back into Maya's neck. "We have to leave here in half an hour," she whispered. Maya nodded her head slowly in understanding. She gently pulled herself away from Jenna and sat the edge of the bed, staring at the wall in front of her. She had only been free for one day and here she was leaving again. She pushed herself up from the bed and walked towards the bathroom.

Jenna's eyes followed her even though tears were still falling from them. She was so beautiful. The sunlight shone through the window kissing her glistening skin so perfectly and making her hair shine like a million droplets of black pearls as she walked to the bathroom.

Maya felt Jenna watching her. She knew this wasn't easy for her either; she knew how much it hurt her. Maya composed herself as she disappeared around the corner in the bathroom. She took a deep breath and then slowly let it out.

"Jennaaaa…" she smirked devilishly leaning her head around the corner to look at her. "Are you coming?" She asked innocently with a flash of mischievousness in her eyes. Jenna smiled brightly with tears still glistening in her eyes. She jumped out of bed and practically ran to the bathroom.

Mean while….

Hanna was continuing her account of this morning's events. Spencer had to tell her to go back several times because she was talking so fast, and she needs details. Aria was half listening as she watched the GPS and gave Hanna directions. Emily was leaning into the seat with her arms crossed and her head turned towards the window, completely oblivious as to what was being said. _When will this ever end?_ She thought to herself. Less than an hour ago, she was relaxed on a blanket in the calmness of the woods with a girl who completely adores her. Everything was so peaceful and now here she was off to God knows where for God knows what.

Emily was snapped out of her thoughts at the mention of Maya's name. "Wait, what? What about Maya?" she asked abruptly, stopping Hanna in mid-sentence.

Hanna looked in her rearview mirror with a "like seriously?" look on her face. When she saw the intense look in Emily's eyes, she sighed and repeated the conversation she overheard Jenna having.

"So, Jenna might have been involved with what happened to Maya?" Spencer asked cautiously and completely aware that Emily was now paying attention to the conversation.

Total silence filled the car for what seemed like an eternity. No one knew what to say but snuck glances at Emily who was staring straight ahead obviously deep in thought.

Aria interrupted the silence, "Hanna, turn left at the next light." Hanna did as she was told and spotted the motel on the right hand side of the street.

"There it is" Spencer said pointing to the motel. All four girls looked and saw Jenna's car in the parking lot as they drove past.

"There's Caleb" Hanna announced upon spotting his car just up the road. She pulled up behind him and the girls quickly jumped out of Hanna's car into his.

"It's about damn time," Caleb said with more attitude than Hanna would have liked. He saw the disapproval on her face and quickly leaned over giving her a kiss on the cheek. "She's been here the whole time," he reported to the girls.

Mean while….

"Okay, wait 15 minutes after I leave" Jenna said while zipping up Maya's hoodie.

"I know the rules," Maya pouted as she watched Jenna zipping up the ugly ass black hoodie that she was forced to wear every time she went out in public.

Jenna laughed and leaned in to kiss her pouting lips. She knew she hated that hoodie but a lot of people were wearing them because of the gold weather settling in, and also the fact the Halloween was coming up and Mona had unknowingly set a creepy trend. They wanted her to blend in as much as possible without looking like herself. "Oh, one more thing…" Jenna said while pulling a black half sky mask out of her purse.

Maya immediately rolled her eyes. "I'm not wearing that," she declared, simply.

Jenna frowned. "Maya, you have to. It's broad daylight and someone might see you," she pleaded.

"It's not that damn cold out to be wearing that! I'll look like a damn psycho!" Maya huffed, even though she knew she wasn't going to win this argument.

Jenna stepped closer to her looking deeply into her eyes; then letting her eyes travel down to her lips and linger there. "Please, Maya" she pleaded softly.

"Augh, fine. You're so wrong. You know that, right?" Maya said, taking the mask from her hand. Jenna smiled at her and pulled her against her body, kissing her softly.

Maya pulled back biting her bottom lip. "You better go now before we start something that we'll have to finish," she warned.

Jenna got the hint. She gave her another quick kiss on the lips, smiled, turned and walked out the door. Maya threw the mask in the air and let out a heavy breath.

Jenna walked out of the Motel toward her car with a smile on her face. She even had a little pep in her step. Maya had a way of doing that to her. She climbed into her car still smiling and pulled out of the parking lot.

"There she goes!" Hanna yelled excitedly.

Caleb slowly pulled away from the curb, making sure to keep his distance. All four girls were leaning forward, watching Jenna's car.

Jenna drove for about 5 miles before turning onto a dirt road. This was tricky because Caleb had to stay far enough behind that she wouldn't see him but close enough to see if she turned off again. The dirt that her tires were kicking up helped shield them from her sight.

Caleb slowed down as he noticed the dirt cloud was getting thinner. _She must have turned off_. He thought, pulling his car to a stop. He looked around and then backed his car up and off the road into a small clearing. He backed up as much as he could without hitting any trees or going into a ditch.

"What now?" Hanna whispered.

"We walk," Caleb shrugged.

Hanna looked at Aria, Spencer and Emily who were sitting in the back seat, looking back and forth at each other, very uncertain about this.

Caleb looked at all four of them. "Okay then…" he said while opening the car door and stepping out. Hanna quickly followed. The other three girls waited a moment.

"Okay then…" Aria repeated and opened up the car door. The three girls got out of the car and caught up to Hanna and Caleb.

They made it back onto the dirt road and started walking in the direction that Caleb thought Jenna might have turned off on. Sure enough, they came across another narrow dirt road veering off from the main road, leading deeper into to the woods.

They followed the road, looking all around them for Jenna's car. Suddenly they heard the roar of an engine and turned to see another car coming straight at them. Thanks to Spencer's cautious thinking, they were walking on the side of the road and not directly on it or the driver would have seen them. They quickly ducked behind some bushes and shrubs as the car sped by, stopping a few yards away.

They remained still as the driver pulled into a small clearing off the road and got out of the car. Spencer put her hand over her mouth to keep from gasping as the driver turned around revealing his face. The other three girls covered their mouths as well. All four girls stared with wide eyes.

Jason looked around, taking in his surroundings. He walked over to the dirt road and looked around some more. He wanted to make sure he wasn't followed. He waited about five minutes before he made his way down a shallow sloped hill.

Caleb signaled to the girls to move as he made his way over to the slope, crouching down so he wouldn't be seen by anyone below. Just as he reached the lip of the slope, he saw Jason standing at the bottom looking straight up. He jerked back quickly and motioned to the girls to get down. Jason stood there for a few seconds looking at the area above the slope. When he was satisfied, he turned and started jogging toward a heavily wooded area.

Caleb turned to the girls and spoke in a hushed voice, "We can't go down this way. He could be watching from those woods. We need to find another way." They all started looking around for another way down when Emily spotted a possible path that was shaded by bushes and large fallen branches. She tapped Caleb on the shoulder and pointed in that direction. He nodded and the girls followed him over there, staying as low to the ground as possible.

The path was perfect. It was out of sight and led directly into the same heavily wooded area that Jason jogged into. They followed the path quietly, looking around for any sign of Jason or Jenna. They came up to another slope and ducked down just in case. As Caleb peered over the edge, he saw Jenna pacing back and forth and Jason saying something to her.

Caleb motioned to the girls to come over. As they approached they saw what Caleb was seeing. They were close enough to see Jason's and Jenna's faces but couldn't hear what they were saying.

Aria looked over at Spencer. "Are you okay?" she asked.

Spencer kept staring at Jason and Jenna. "He can't be A. Hanna, are you sure that's who Jenna was talking to on the phone?" she asked.

"I don't know who she was talking to but it's after 10:00 and they're the only ones here, so it must…" Hanna was cut off by Caleb's hand grabbing her arm.

Hanna followed his eyes to see what he was staring at so intensely. She gasped when she saw a dark figure moving through the woods on the opposite side. "Guys…" she motioned to the other girls. They followed her gaze and gasped when they saw the figure.

As the figure got closer, they noticed he or she was wearing a black hoodie, a mask of some kind, and black pants and boots. The figure also had something slung across his or her back. The girls all looked at each other with wide eyes and knew exactly what the other was thinking. That had to be A.

"Jenna, do you realize how serious this? This could get us all killed," Jason said trying to reason with her.

"I know that!" Jenna snapped with a flash of anger in her eyes. She let out a deep breath and ran her fingers through her hair before she continued. "But, I'm not going another month without seeing her. It's too long and this is really taking a toll on her, Jason," she said looking pleadingly at him.

Jason sighed heavily and ran his hand through his hair, letting it rest at the back of his head. He stared at the ground for a moment, deep in thought. He knew this was hard on Maya; hell, it was hard on everyone but especially her. He sighed again and dropped his hand, hooking his thumbs in his front pants pockets. "Fine, one week. In one week, I'll get you out to see her. Deal?"

"Thank you," Jenna whispered with a sigh of relief.

"Well that just doesn't work for me," Maya strolled into the clearing, walking right up to Jason. She dropped the bag that she'd been carrying on her back next to her. He was significantly taller than her so she pulled the hood of her sweater back just enough to look up into his eyes. "Three days," she said with determination in her eyes.

Jason opened his mouth to protest but was quickly cut off by the intensity in the brown eyes staring up at him. "I've always played this your way and never asked for anything, but not this time. Three days, and not a day longer," Maya voice was stern and dead serious.

Jason knew that she wasn't asking; she was demanding. As they stared at each other for a few seconds, he knew he wouldn't win. Maya was standing her ground, showing no sign of backing down. She was usually easy going and just kind of let things flow but when she got like this, it was best to just let her have her way. He knew this from experience. "Okay, three days," he let out a breath in defeat. His face softened as he looked at the dark girl standing in front of him. "Can I have a hug now?" he asked sweetly, extending his arms out to her.

A smile touched Maya's lips as she stepped in closer to him and had to tiptoe to wrap her arms around his neck. He smiled widely as he wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her off the ground in a tight hug.

Jenna just stood back, shaking her head and smiling at them.

This chapter ended up being so long that I had to split it in half. Chapter 3 will be up momentarily.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Caleb, Hanna, Aria, Spencer and Emily were watching all this happen. They couldn't hear anything except once when Jenna raised her voice at Jason but even then, they couldn't make out what she said.

"That is definitely a girl, right?" Aria asked no one in particular.

"Either that or Jason's gay," Hanna giggled, drawing a not so amused glare from Spencer. Hanna's smiled dropped and she cleared her throat as she went back to looking at the three in the clearing.

"That's a girl," Emily finally spoke. Her eyes had been locked on the dark figure ever since she came into sight. There was something about the way she walked; the way she moved. Emily couldn't take her eyes off of her. There was something so familiar. The way the sweater hung on her shoulders; the way her black skinny jeans hugged the curves of her legs. She couldn't see anything much higher than mid-thigh because of how baggy the sweater was, but she could see enough.

"Really? How can you tell?" Hanna asked moving next to Emily so she could see from her angle. Emily shifted her eyes to her and raised an eyebrow. Hanna looked over at her as understanding hit her. "Never mind…" Hanna put her tongue in her cheek while shaking her head and laughing to herself. Emily smirked, rolled her eyes and shook her head as she went back to watching the dark figure.

They all watched as Jason set the dark figure back on her feet. They stood saying something to each other; Jason's smile never leaving his face. He nodded his head a couple of times before bending down and picking up the bag and the dark figured had dropped. He flung it over his shoulder and nodded one more time. He then motioned over to an area a few yards away. He turned slightly and lifted his hand to Jenna. She lifted hers back at him started walking toward them. Jason said something else, turned and started walking in the direction that he motioned toward earlier.

Jenna walked up and took Jason's place in front of the dark figure. With one hand, Jenna reached for her, grabbing the front of her sweater and pulling her close to her as her other hand reached up toward her face. It looked like she was pulling the dark figure's mask down. Jenna then leaned in kissed the dark figure passionately.

All four girls and Caleb gasped in unison with shocked expressions on their faces. "Jenna is kissing A," Spencer spoke first, still obviously in shock.

"Jenna is kissing a girl," Aria added with her eyes wide and mouth slightly opened.

Hanna watched in just as much shock as the other girls until suddenly, her shocked expression turned into a frown as she glared over at Emily who was oblivious to what the girls were saying. With her lips pressed together and her nose flaring, she reached over and landed her fist on Emily's upper shoulder; not so hard to leave a bruise but hard enough to get her attention.

"Ouch! What the heck was that for?" Emily frowned at her while rubbing her arm.

"Why didn't you know that Jenna was gay?" Hanna glared at her while crossing her arms.

"Why would I know that, Hanna? You guys didn't," Emily pointed out.

"Because. Aren't gay people supposed to have these antennas that can sense other gay people?" Hanna uncrossed her arms as she became more flustered.

"I think you mean gaydar," Spencer said stifling a laugh.

"Well, whatever," Hanna glanced frustratingly at Spencer. "So, what the hell is wrong with yours?" She raised her hand toward Emily.

Emily opened her mouth to say something in her defense and was quickly cut off by Caleb. "Emily's gaydar is shit," he said simply while shrugging his shoulders.

Emily frowned at all of them. "My gaydar is not shit. There's nothing wrong with it," she defended herself before continuing. "I just didn't know about Jenna…" she was saying until Spencer cut her off in mid-sentence.

"You didn't know about Paige either until she kissed you," Spencer pointed out, again trying to stifle a laugh.

"Shitty gaydar…" Aria chimed in while shaking her head disappointedly.

"Ha!" Spencer let out a small laugh and quickly covered her mouth while Emily frowned.

Hanna threw her hands up in the air totally annoyed now. "Great, we get the gay friend with shitty gaydar," she huffed, crossing her arms again with a scowl on her face.

Emily frowned hard at Hanna before turning away and going back to watching Jenna and the dark figure. The kiss had intensified and at some point, the dark figured had removed her black gloves. Her hands were now tangled in Jenna's hair, and Jenna's arms were around her waist, holding her tight against her. Emily tried to focus her eyes so that she could get a better view of the figure's hands when she suddenly felt gentle rubbing on the top of her shoulder where Hanna had punched her. She turned to see Aria's eyes staring back at her with a concerned look on her face.

"Emily, sweetie, are you even sure that that's a girl?" Aria asked pointing to the dark figured. Spencer lost it and covered her mouth tight as she exploded into laughter in her hands.

Emily looked at all of them, as they all seemed to be stifling their laughter. All except Hanna who looked genuinely annoyed, and Spencer who was doubled over laughing into her hands and practically on her knees. "Guys, can we forget about my gaydar and focus on finding out who that is," she motioned toward the dark figure. "And yes, Aria. I'm sure that's a girl," she glared at her friend, not at all convinced by her mock concern.

"Ha. 'I'm sure that's a girl' says the Lesbian with a broken gaydar," Hanna mocked bitterly.

"Okay sweetie, if you're sure…" Aria said with mockery in her voice as she backed away from Emily who was giving her a death stare. As soon as Aria got near Spencer, Spencer grabbed on to her and buried her face into her shoulder as laughter ripped through her body. Aria bit her lip, trying not to join her in her laughing fit.

Emily rolled her eyes and decided to ignore them from here on out. She refocused her attention onto Jenna and the dark figure. They had stopped making out and were now saying something to each other with their foreheads pressed together. Emily's eyes widened and her mouth fell open as she watched the dark figure raise her hand to Jenna's cheek and gently stroke it. Her heart started racing as she watched the slim gentle looking fingers trace Jenna's jaw line. She knew those hands!

Emily's head started spinning. _It's not possible. It can't be. But, her hands, the skin tone, her figure, and the way she moves. Come on Emily, you're seeing things. You know that's not possible. She's gone. Just breath, breath, breath damn it!_ Emily thought frantically to herself, trying to keep from passing out.

Spencer's laughing fit abruptly ended when she saw Emily practically hyperventilating. She moved to her side quickly, putting her hand on her shoulder. "Emily, what's wrong?" she asked with genuine fear and concern in her voice. Now they were all watching Emily.

Emily's eyes darted back and forth between the dark figure and Spencer. She shook her head and let her eyes drop to the ground. When she looked back up into Spencer's now seriously concerned eyes, she spoke quickly. "I, I can't explain it but we have to know who that is. We can't let her get away," she said. She knew it wasn't Maya; it couldn't possibly be. Maya was dead and Emily had accepted that. But she had to know who this girl was. Her breathing was now back to normal and determination flashed in her eyes.

Spencer took a step back and looked at the other girls who were now glancing at each other. "Emily's right. If that's A, we can end this now. We may not get another shot at this," Spencer offered the girls.

Aria was the first to speak up, "I'm in," she said, moving over to Spencer's side.

Hanna was next, "well, you know I'm in," she announced, looking over at Caleb.

Caleb dropped his head and sighed. "Fine, but if we do this and things get ugly, let me handle Jason. Got it?" he looked at each girl until he got a nod of agreement from each one, especially Spencer.

"Guys, we got to go, now!" Emily pointed toward Jenna and the dark figure.

"I'll see you in three days," Jenna whispered into Maya's ear. She brushed her lips across her cheek before giving her one last kiss on the lips. She then pulled the mask back up over Maya's mouth and nose. She smiled at her as she let her go. Maya backed away slowly still holding Jenna's hand until their fingers parted. Jenna could see that Maya was smiling behind the mask just by the way her eyes twinkled. She blew her a kiss and waved goodbye.

Maya laughed and waved back. She then turned and made her way over to where Jason was waiting. She was half way there when she heard shuffling coming from across the small clearing. She stopped dead in her tracks as Caleb emerged brush with Emily and Spencer right behind him, followed by Hanna and Aria. They were coming at her fast.

"Jason!" Jenna screamed as she raced toward Maya.

Jason was fiddling with his phone when snapped around at the sound of Jenna's scream. He saw the five moving quickly toward Maya and Jenna running toward her as well. He dropped his phone and the bag and took off toward Maya.

Maya was backing away from them as fast as she could but she was trapped. If she went any further, she'd go tumbling down the steep slope. There is no way she'd make it down that in one piece. Her eyes locked on Emily. Emily was moving fast and staring straight at her with determination written all over her. "Shit," she whispered.

Caleb stopped a couple of feet away from Maya. "We just want to talk to you." He tried to sound reassuring, taking a step closer to her. Suddenly, he was knocked off his feet as Jason's body slammed into him. Spencer, Hanna and Aria gasped but Emily was not deterred. Emily went straight for Maya, locking her fingers around her arm.

Maya tried to pull away but Emily's grip just got tighter. With her free hand, Emily reached for the hood. Next thing Maya knew she was tumbling to the ground with Emily and Jenna. Jenna ran right into Emily with such force that all three of them fell. Maya scrambled to her feet as she saw Jenna straddle Emily trying to hold her down. Emily was trying to catch her breath after having the wind knocked out of her. Maya hesitated as she looked down at Emily.

"Go!" Jenna screamed at Maya. Maya knew that Jenna wouldn't hurt Emily, so she turned to run and ran right into Aria and Hanna who were reaching for her. They grabbed a hold of her but she, with a lot of effort, was able to twist and maneuver out of their grasps. Once free of them, Maya took off running. She looked over her shoulder to see that Spencer had locked her arm around Jenna's neck and was pulling her off of Emily.

Maya saw Spencer drag Jenna to the ground and straddle her, holding her down. She stopped and was starting to head back when Jenna turned her head toward her and screamed again, "Go!" Jenna turned her head upward and Maya followed her gaze. Hanna and Aria were helping Emily to her feet and Emily was staring directly at Maya. Emily broke into a mad dash heading straight at her. She quickly turned in her tracks and bolted toward the heavily wooded area on the other side of the clearing.

Jason was finally able to position himself just right to flip Caleb over his head and onto his back. He scrambled to his feet and grabbed the back of Spencer's shirt, pulling her off of Jenna. Once Jenna was free, she jumped to her feet and took off after Emily.

"Jason!" Spencer yelled angrily at him, trying to pull herself away. Just then, Hanna leaped onto to Jason's back and started slapping him on the head and face. Jason was trying to swat her hands away with one hand but she was swinging fast. He finally lost his grip on Spencer's shirt as Spencer started pounding on his hand with her fist. As Spencer jumped to her feet to follow Jenna, Jason yelled to her, "Spencer, please don't!" Spencer looked back at him and then took off after Jenna.

Hanna was still going at Jason with her hands. He reached up, trying to grab them. He finally caught a hold of them and pulled her forward over his head. He caught her just before she hit the ground so that she would land too hard. He stumbled back and tripped over Aria's foot that she had purposely put in his way. He hit the ground hard and immediately felt the pressure of Caleb's body on top of him, pinning him to the ground. Caleb looked up at Aria and Hanna and yelled, "Go, don't let her get away!"

Jason looked up and caught Aria's eyes. "Please, don't. You'll get her killed and the rest of us," he managed to breathe out. Aria stood frozen looking into his eyes. She knew he was serious. Hanna pulled on her arm to get her to move. Aria snapped out of her intense gaze with Jason and followed Hanna as she ran in the direction that the others had gone in.

Jason struggled with all his might under the weight of Caleb's body but he was exhausted. His mind went back to Maya. They came too far to let it end like this. As he thought about her and everything that she had sacrificed, he knew he couldn't fail her. He found strength somewhere deep inside and wrapped his legs around Caleb's torso, flipping him over.

Maya made it to the heavily wooded area. She knew she would have the advantage because she was at least three inches shorter than Emily. Emily would have a harder time dealing with the low hanging branches, which she hoped would slow her down. She really needed to slow her down because she didn't know how long she could keep this pace up. Emily was an athlete and had a lot more stamina than her. Maya was fast for a short distance but long distance? Emily would surely catch without much effort.

Maya felt herself slowing down. She tried desperately to control her breathing as she glanced over her shoulder. Emily had fallen back a little which meant the low hanging branch theory was working but she hadn't fallen far enough behind to make Maya feel comfortable. _Damn it! Of all the people that could have came after me, it had to be Emily. If she doesn't fall back some more, I'm done. There's no way I'll make it to the car._ Maya was getting frustrated because she knew that she could only stay in the wooded area for another few hundred yards. She had to cross another clearing to get to the car. If Emily didn't fall back more, she would surely catch her once they hit the clearing.

Maya glanced over her shoulder one more time to see that Emily had picked up speed. Maya looked around and realized that the branches weren't as low anymore, which could only mean the clearing was coming up and Emily was speeding up. _Focus Maya! Run damn it, run!_

This was a fun chapter to write. Please review.


	4. Chapter 4

Hi guys! Again, thank you for the reviews. I will do my best to keep this story updated as often as possible. I love Emaya and don't see that passion going away any time soon. Enjoy!

Chapter 4

_Maya glanced over her shoulder one more time to see that Emily had picked up speed. Maya looked around and realized that the branches weren't as low anymore, which could only mean the clearing was coming up and Emily was speeding up. __**Focus Maya! Run damn it, run!**_

Although Emily had picked up speed, she could feel the fatigue taking over her body. Her legs were beginning to feel heavy and her breathing was getting harder to control. The day had taken its toll on her. The four-mile run with Paige, having the wind knocked out of her, and now struggling to protect her face and head from these damn branches. She looked up to see how far the dark figure had gotten, and was a little more than surprised to see that she hadn't gotten far.

Emily honestly didn't know how she was able to keep going considering how tired she was. It was as if something was pulling her forward; like unseen hands dragging her closer to the dark figure.

Maya knew Emily was close. She could hear the crunching of leaves and breaking of twigs and small branches getting louder. The clearing was within sight and she knew that she would have to give it everything she had if she had any chance of getting away. She dug in and propelled herself forward in a desperate sprint as soon as she hit the clearing. She didn't dare look behind her again; she kept her eyes focused on the other side of the clearing.

Maya's mind started to race through the events of the last several months and how everything came together to bring her to the very place, this moment, with Emily hot on her heels.

Without warning, it was as if time had slowed down as she felt her body being lifted into the air. She could see the ground moving under her but her feet were no longer touching it. She closed her eyes and was suddenly being transported to another time and place.

Maya found herself at the old boathouse. _It was dusk and the sunset had left remnants of its beauty streaked across the sky. She could hear the crickets preparing their nightly ballots and see the fireflies beginning their teasingly elusive dances. Emily had laid out a blanket near the water. Maya watched as she pulled a roll of tin foil and a box of birthday candles out of her backpack. God, she was beautiful. _

_Emily looked up and caught Maya's eyes. A sudden blush crept over her face as she looked back down and continued laying items out on the blanket, sneaking glances from the corner of her eye. "Come here" she said innocently without looking up but Maya could see the smile lingering on her lips and the rise and fall of her chest as she took several deep breaths. _

_Maya groaned softly to herself as she made her way toward the beautiful girl. Emily, unknowingly, had a way of getting to her. She could make her lose all senses with just one look._

_Maya walked up behind her and lowered herself on the blanket. She sat directly behind her, placing her legs on either side of her so that Emily was nestled in between them. She pulled a very blushing Emily closer to her. "Maya…" Emily giggled, blushing like crazy. Maya smiled and nestled her face into her long, dark, silky hair. _

_"So, what are we doing?" Maya whispered in her ear. She felt Emily stiffen as she turned and looked deep into her eyes. Maya felt her heart drop at the fear she saw in the beautiful almond shaped eyes that stared back at her. She knew that Emily was hiding things from her, and she knew what some of those things were, but she didn't want to push her. Emily didn't trust her yet and she understood that. Hopefully in time, that would change. _

_"The tin foil and candles? What are we doing?" Maya asked with a look of reassurance that said that was all she was asking._

_Emily smiled; a smile of relief and Maya caught it. She pulled a piece of foil from the roll and Maya watched as her fingers went to work, bending, twisting and manipulating it. When she was done, she turned and showed it to Maya with a bright smile. It was a little boat and Maya couldn't help but smile just as bright. _

_"Wait, it's not done," she said as she pulled another piece from the roll. She continued her same pattern of twisting and bending, and produced an exact replica of the first boat. She took a smaller piece from the roll and twisted it. She then connected the two boats with the smaller piece. _

_Maya watched in awe, having no idea what Emily was doing but loving the focused look on her face and excitement in her eyes. Emily then took two candles from the box. She rolled them in her hand as she looked over at Maya. "Light, please…" she smiled at her knowingly. Maya shook her head and smiled as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a lighter. Emily took it from her and placed a playful kiss on her lips._

_Emily lit one candle and let the wax drip into the first boat. Maya lost her breath in that moment as Emily turned to look at her, the light from candle's fire flickering and dancing in her eyes. Emily then let placed the candle into the wax. She lit the second candle and did the same for the next boat. She put the candle in the wax and took her creation to the water._

_Maya watched as she delicately placed it into the water. She backed up and rested herself back between Maya's legs. She reached back and pulled Maya's arms around her._

_"That's us, Maya…" Emily exhaled, sinking deeper into Maya's body. They both watched as the boats started to twirl and float off. The fire flashed against the foil causing shadows to dance on the water. "…away from everyone and everything. Just you and me, connected, floating off into the unknown," she continued just above a whisper. Maya pulled her closer and tighter. She only wished that she could tell this girl how much she loved her._

Suddenly, Maya felt herself being jerked away from the memory as Emily faded from her arms. Her vision got blurry as the scene changed. Bits and pieces started to overlap. Mona flashed before her eyes.

_"I miss my dolls, all of them." She said staring off into nothing. Toby sat attentive at her feet as she slowly combed the hair of her new doll. Two other hooded figures sat around her and Maya knew exactly who they were, although their faces were covered. As Maya got closer, she realized that Mona's new doll looked just like her. Mona looked up at her with a gentle smile as she continued to comb the doll's hair._ Maya stumbled away and fell against someone else.

_"My dear, sweet Maya. You're a part of me now." The laugh that followed was so evil that Maya had to cover her ears. She pulled herself away and stumbled backwards as Alison's eyes burned into her. She struggled to block her out._

_"Maya!" Emily streaked. She was snapped back to the boathouse by the sound of Emily's voice. The fear in her eyes sent chills up and down her spine. "Run, Maya. Please run!" _

_Maya's eyes shifted over to the make shift boats. She gasped as she saw them spinning in the middle of the water. The candles were still burning but with a furious flame, twisting in the air angrily. Maya backed away, unsure what to do next as Emily looked up at her with pleading eyes. _

_Alison appeared behind Emily, pulling her close to her. Emily seemed to go limp in her embrace but her eyes never left Maya. Maya moved forward with rage burning inside of her. The fire on the water seemed to reflect what she was feeling as it reached higher in the air, twisting and turning. Alison let loose a blood curdling laugh as Maya suddenly felt shock waves of pain shooting throughout her entire body._

Maya was forcefully pulled back to the present as her body flew through the air, just before gravity's cruel hand yanked her back down to the earth. She hit the ground hard, landing on her side and continuing to roll for several feet before coming to an abrupt stop on her stomach. She must have landed on something because the pain in her side was searing. She winced as she brought her hand up to her ribs. She looked over to see that Emily had landed only a few feet away from her and was slowly pushing herself up off the ground.

Emily was trying to clear her head as she pushed herself up. She had finally caught up to the dark figure and reached for her. The shear speed they were running at caused the dark figure to propel forward off the ground and her legs to fly backward, tripping Emily. They both flew forward and were now on the ground a few feet away from each other. Emily was able to position herself on her hands and knees as she tried to catch her breath. She looked over at the dark figure just as she felt heavy pressure against her back.

Jenna put her foot against Emily's back and forced her back down to the ground, face first. She looked over at Maya and ran to her. She bent down, wrapped her arms around her and lifted her onto her feet. Jenna stiffened when she heard the soft pain-filled groan come from her. "Oh God, you're hurt," she whispered worriedly; her arms still wrapped around her, holding her up.

Before Maya could steady herself, she felt her body hit the ground again as Jenna was ripped away from her. Spencer had grabbed a hold of her and they were now rolling around on the ground, fighting for dominance. Spence finally won as she straddled her, pinning her to the ground.

A few yards beyond them, Maya could see Hanna and Aria running toward them. Mustering up every bit of strength she had left, she pushed herself up off the ground and on to her feet. She turned away from them in an attempt to start running again. This time, she was stopped by the sudden feel of Emily's arms circling tightly around her from behind. She hadn't even noticed that Emily had gotten up.

Emily closed her arms around the dark figure, pinning her arms against her sides and locking her tight against her own body. The dark figure twisted, trying to break free but Emily just tightened her hold on her.

"Please, stop." Emily pleaded softly against the hood of her sweater. The dark figure immediately stopped moving and seemed to surrender as she let her body relax against Emily. That's when Emily noticed it. The way the dark figure's body molded against her. Emily's breathing quickened as she suddenly became aware of every curve of her body.

Jenna looked over and saw that Emily had caught Maya. Rage burned throughout her whole body as bucked and twisted under Spencer. Spencer looked over as well which Jenna took as an opportunity to rip her arms loose from Spencer's grasp. She clamped her hands together and drove them into Spencer's side, knocking her over. Jenna scrambled to her feet started walking toward Emily and Maya.

"Let her go!" Jenna growled at Emily with pure anger burning in her eyes. When Emily didn't move, she lunged forward reaching for her arms. She was immediately pulled backward as Aria and Hanna each latched on to an arm. She struggled to shake them off but it was useless. They had both their arms wrapped around each one of hers.

Spencer slowly got to her feet and walked around them, stopping right in front of Jenna. Spencer stepped right up to her face, contempt flashing in her eyes. "Now let's see who your little girlfriend is. Shall we?" With that, Spencer turned her back on her and took a step toward Maya.

"What do you hope to gain from this, Spencer?" Jenna asked bitterly.

"We are going to put an end to this sick, twisted game right now," Spencer shot back, turning around to face her again.

Jenna laughed. "Oh, really? You're not putting an end to anything. You're only starting something that you're not ready for. None of you are," Jenna looked at all the girls with an evil smirk on her lips.

Spencer stepped right back in her face, looking down at her with suspicion. "Is that why you look so scared?" she challenged her.

Jenna ignored her question. "Who do you think she is, huh? A? Is that what you think? Let me give you a clue. That is not A. In fact, A is trying to kill her." Jenna said as anger filled her eyes once again.

"I don't believe a single word that comes out of that lying mouth of yours." Spencer spat back her.

"Oh, I'm the liar? You are so fucking self-righteous, Spencer. You're willing to put all your little friends in danger just to try and prove something. You have no idea what you're dealing with." Jenna seethed.

Jenna and Spencer stood staring at each other. Neither of them flinching or showing any sign of backing down. The contempt between them was so thick that Hanna and Aria looked over at each other nervously.

Aria found herself remembering what Jason said only moments ago. _"Please, don't. You'll get her killed and the rest of us."_ She felt a cold chill run down her spine as she remembered his words. "Spencer…" she said with fear in her eyes.

Spencer looked over at her friend and saw the fear. She then looked over at Hanna who was looking very nervous and very uncertain. Spencer dropped her head for a moment to think. When she raised it again, her attention was drawn to the edge of the clearing. She watched as Jason stumbled into sight.

"No. This ends now." Spencer turned around quickly and headed for the dark figure. She placed one hand on her hood and another on her mask, and with one quick motion she pulled them both off.

Jenna watched helplessly as Maya's hood and mask were ripped away. She closed her eyes and bowed her head towards the ground, silently cursing herself for failing the only person that had ever been there for her, the only person who she ever really loved.

Loud gasps echoed all around them. Spencer stumbled backwards with her hands reaching up to cover her mouth as shocked and disbelief covered her face.

Hanna stood in complete shock and Aria covered her mouth with wide eyes as she sank to her knees.

Maya had her eyes closed the entire time. She was lost in the moment, feeling Emily's heart beat against her back and hearing her breathing so close to her ear. She only became aware of her surroundings when she felt the hood and mask being roughly ripped away from her. She opened her eyes to see the shocked expressions on their faces but didn't move.

Emily's eyes were also closed. All her senses were alive but only tuned into the girl she held in her arms; the feel of her body against her own; the sound of her breathing. She didn't need to see her face to know who she was holding. Her body and soul told her who it was no matter how much her mind tried to deny it. The truth is, she knew from the moment she laid eyes on the dark figure.

Emily felt the girl jerk forward slightly but only for a second. Suddenly, long soft curls brushed against her face and hair. Emily could feel herself becoming intoxicated by the all too familiar, subtly scent of vanilla. She braced herself as she slowly opened her eyes.

Maya stood still, not knowing what to do next. She wasn't prepared for this. It wasn't supposed to happen like this. She felt Emily's arms slip from around her and her body move away from her. Without thought, she spun around, stepping forward and catching her around the waist just before her knees buckled. Emily's body fell against her, causing her to stumble back a step. She used every bit of energy she had to hold her up. "Emily…" she whispered.

Emily put her hands on Maya's shoulders, trying to steady herself. She raised her head slowly and looked down at her. Her eyes flashed with so many emotions that Maya couldn't identify a single one.

Emily slowly moved her trembling hands from Maya's shoulders toward her face. Tears swelled in her eyes as she looked down at her. Her hands hovered just over her mouth and cheeks as if she was afraid to touch her. "Maya…" Emily exhaled.

Please review :) Now the real drama begins!


	5. Chapter 5

Hi everyone! I apologize for the delay but things have been busy. I will update more often in the future. Enjoy!

Maya could feel Emily's body trembling against her. She unconsciously pulled her closer and tighter, tightening her hold on her waist. Her pulse raced; everything was happening so fast that she didn't have time to think. She tried to focus her thoughts but failed, miserably. All she could do was focus on Emily. The person that she had longed to hold for so long was finally in her arms. She closed her eyes and shuddered when she felt Emily's finger tips brush against her cheeks.

Emily's breathing quickened as her finger tips made contact with Maya's skin. Emotion after emotion rolled through her body as she gently traced the contours of her face. Her fingers moved slowly and cautiously, pulling away several times with uncertainty. _Is this really happening?_

There was so much Emily wanted to say; words that she regretted never saying. There were times when she would whisper her feelings for Maya in prayers and be filled with sorrow because she had missed her chance to say them to her. Now, here she was and she couldn't form the words. In this moment, all she wanted to do was look at her, hold her, touch her; just be with her.

Once again, time stood still for Emily and Maya. Their eyes connected and everything else around them seemed to fade away. Maya searched Emily's eyes, trying to sense what she was feeling. She could see a mixture of emotions shifting and flashing in the taller girl's glistening brown eyes.

Again, Maya tried to focus but felt herself slipping deeper into the moment. Her body betrayed her as her gazed strayed from Emily's haunting eyes, over her delicate cheek bones and finally coming to rest on her trembling lips. It took every bit of self-control to keep from leaning forward and capturing them with her own.

No one dared to speak or even move as they all looked on in wonder, pondering their own private thoughts of what was happening. It was no surprise who the first person was to interrupt the moment. "Maya…" Jenna's voice broke the silence. "I'm so sorry…" she said as she took a step toward Maya.

Maya was pulled from the moment at the sound of her name; more so by the voice that utter it. Her eyes broke contact with Emily's as she quickly lowered them. She closed her eyes briefly and took a deep breath, trying to regain control of the situation. She knew what she had to do next, so she mustered every bit of courage she could find within herself.

Maya opened her eyes but kept them down cast, not daring to look at Emily again. Her arms slowly slipped from around Emily's waist. She lifted her hands and gently took hold of the hands that were still delicately tracing her face. Never looking up, Maya removed Emily's hands from her face and took a step back with Emily's hands still in hers.

Confusion filled the eyes of the taller girl as she searched Maya's face. _Why is she pulling away?_ Emily's mind desperately tried to grasp what was happening as Maya gently released her hands and took another step back.

Emily's hands lingered briefly in mid air until she clasped them together and pulled them slowly against her chest. She wanted to speak, to say something to Maya to get her to stop moving away but the words were caught in her throat.

With her mind made up and now focused on her next move, Maya turned her back on Emily. She lifted her eyes and scanned the small clearing until her eyes connected with the person she was looking for. She held Jenna's gaze as she moved toward her. All eyes were on Maya but Maya's eyes were locked on Jenna.

Spencer looked on in disbelief as Maya strolled right past her, never shifting her eyes away from her main focus. Maya moved confidently past the onlookers with her head held high and seemingly unaware of the questioning eyes that followed her. Spencer's gaze shifted from the departing girl to her friend who stood amazed and confused.

Spencer snapped out of her trance and quickly moved to Emily's side. She put a comforting arm around her shoulders and a reassuring hand on her arm. She could only imagine what her friend must be feeling right now, considering Spencer herself was feeling a mix of emotions.

As Maya closed the distance between her and Jenna, Jason appeared at Jenna's side. He was breathing heavily and was obliviously thoroughly exhausted. Maya shifted her gaze to him and offered a delicate smile, hoping to ease the troubled look in his eyes. Jason smiled back and lifted his arms out to her. Maya walked right into his embrace and leaned her head against his chest. He rested his head on the top of hers and closed his eyes while wrapping his arms around her shoulders and giving her a tight squeeze. She hugged him back, holding him tight around his mid section. They stood like that momentarily until Jason gave her a delicate kiss on the top of her head and gently pulled back so that he could look down into her eyes.

"Are you okay?" he questioned; the frightened concern in his voice was unmistakable. "I'm so sorry, Maya. We'll fix this. I promise," he smiled down at her reassuringly. He desperately needed her to trust that he would take care of her and continue protecting her no matter what the cost.

A soft smile touched Maya's lips as she looked trustingly up at him. "I know," she spoke softly. She then turned her head to the side to look at Jenna who was staring down at the ground with a hand covering her mouth and a strained look on her face as if she was holding back tears. Maya looked up at Jason and hugged him one last time before stepping away and moving to stand directly in front of Jenna.

Maya reached up and gently took Jenna's hand, pulling it away from her mouth. With her other hand, she brushed away a lock of hair that hung over Jenna's brow, carefully tucking it behind her ear. She then let her fingers glide down her jaw line to rest under her chin. She delicately lifted Jenna's chin forcing her to look into her eyes.

"You have nothing to be sorry about. I don't blame you for any of this. Please, believe that." Maya's voice was soft and soothing and the warmth that radiated in her eyes made the anxious girl sigh with relief and relax a little.

Jason walked over to Jenna and Maya, looking at them intensely as if communicating some nonverbal message. They both looked at him and nodded simultaneously in understanding. Jenna took Maya's hand and without a word began leading her away from the group.

"Wait a minute! What the hell is going on?" Spencer asked astonished. "She can't just walk away. She owes an explanation for all of this, especially to Emily!" Spencer's voice grew a little louder. With that said Hanna moved over and took her position next to Emily. Aria raised herself back up onto her feet and quickly moved to Hanna's side. The girls stood around their best friend, ready to defend and support her.

Jenna turned on her heels with fire in her eyes. She stepped past Maya so that she was behind her. She released Maya's hand and took another step forward. "She doesn't owe anyone anything…" Jenna seethed "…especially Emily!"

Now it was Hanna's turn to fire back. "The hell she doesn't! Emily went through hell thinking she was dead…" she was saying until Spencer chimed in, interrupting her.

"Not to mention that she was almost killed by her insane stalker ex-boyfriend!" Spencer yelled.

The girls stood glaring at Jenna but she was not intimidated; she only grew more furious. "Went through hell?" She laughed bitterly. "What, for a couple of months before she fell into someone else's bed?" With sarcasm dripping from her lips, she continued "Yea, I can definitely see her sorrow every time she's with Paige," Jenna rolled her eyes. "As for her almost being killed, you have no idea about any of that! She was never really in danger!" She spat.

Emily's head snapped up and her eyes frantically locked on Maya. _Maya knew about Paige, but how? Jenna, no doubt; damn her!_ Emily's mind raced as her jaw tightened.

"That's enough. Now take Maya and go." Jason gently warned her. He knew how protective Jenna was of Maya and how she can sometimes go too far. She had said enough; it was time to end this conversation before her anger got the better of her. When that happens, she tends to say exactly what's on her mind without considering the consequences.

Jenna looked at him with anger still burning in her eyes. Her eyes abruptly changed, and softened as she felt Maya's hand slide into her own. "Let's go, Jen," she spoke softly and calmly. Jenna turned to look at her and nodded. As they turned to walk away, Spencer voice filled the air around them.

"You have some nerve, you spiteful witch!" Spencer's rage was starting to boil over. "Emily thought she was dead for God sakes! But Maya…huh…she knew Emily was alive but yet she fell, or rather jumped, into your bed! How dare you or her judge Emily?" Spencer growled through clenched teeth. "So, tell us, Maya. How long have you been sleeping with this evil wench? While you were with Emily, pretending to give a damn about her or after you faked your own death while she grieved for you?" Spencer continued with her anger turning into bitter sarcasm and contempt.

Suddenly, the memory of the scene in the clearing just minutes ago came flooding back to Emily. _Jenna and Maya were…they were making out! Oh my God, they're together? They can't be. Is that why Maya moved away from her when Jenna called her? What the hell is happening?!_ Emily felt herself becoming dizzy and a little queasy as reality came crashing down around her. Emily let out a heavy breath as she placed her hand over her stomach and closed her eyes momentarily.

While talking, Spencer had unconsciously taken several steps in their direction and now stood only a few feet away from them. Her hands were clenched into fists at her sides as she stood glaring at them. Hanna quickly moved to her side and crossed her arms, glaring just as hard at them. Aria stood back with a comforting arm around Emily.

Maya ignored her question; never looking at her. She just shook her head and tugged on Jenna's hand to get her to keep walking and ignore Spencer as well. She knew Jenna was about to explode and with the tension in the air, things could turn ugly very quickly.

Maya knew that Spencer and Jenna were like oil and water. When mixed together with the right amount of heat, everyone around them is liable to be burned.

Jason also sensed that things were about to escalate. He stepped in front of Spencer, putting a barrier between her and Jenna. "I will explain as much as I can to you but Maya has to leave, right now. This is not safe for any of us, especially her," he offered Spencer.

"And why should I trust you? You knew she was alive and you acted like you had so much sympathy for Emily. You're a liar, just like them!" Spencer countered. "For all we know, she is _A_! Give me one good reason why I shouldn't call the police right now. Or, you know what? Maybe I should so Maya can give them an explanation since you and that she-devil seem to think she doesn't owe anyone else one." She challenged him while pulling out her cell phone.

Suddenly, Maya snapped around and her eyes zeroed in on Spencer. She released Jenna's hand and walked over to them. Her pace was steady, her jaw set and her eyes were dark and emotionless. She moved Jason aside and stood right in front of Spencer. Spencer couldn't help but become uneasy by the fiercely dark emptiness in Maya's eyes. It was as if she was void of any feelings. Emily's eyes widened. She had never seen that look in Maya's eyes before. Jenna, on the other hand, crossed her arms as a wickedly smug smile formed on her lips.

Maya leaned in close to Spencer so that only she could hear her. "Do you really want to play this game with me?" Her voice took on a dangerous tone. "I know that you pushed Alison the night she died and didn't even stick around to see if she was okay. Tisk, tisk, Spencer," Maya whispered with a hint of scolding anger. "Don't worry; that's not what killed her but try convincing the police of that because I bet they would be very interested in that story, especially Detective Wilden. Don't fucking test me, Spencer. We all have our secrets," Maya warned as she backed away and glared into Spencer's horror filled eyes. She turned her back on her and walked back over to Jenna.

Spencer stood frozen for a moment. _How did she know that? No one knew that. The only people that were there were her and Alison._ Spencer tried to hide the panic that was threatening to show on her face. She swallowed hard as she slipped her phone back into her pocket. Hanna and Aria looked at her suspiciously while Emily kept her eyes on Maya.

Jason could see that whatever Maya said to Spencer, rattled her. He stepped back in front of her before he spoke. "I will tell you as much as I can but no one can know about this. Not the police or anyone else. That includes, Ezra…" he looked over at Aria.

"And Toby…" Jenna added while glaring at Spencer.

"And Paige…" Maya warned without looking in Emily's direction.

"Agreed?" Jason asked while looking at all four girls and Caleb. They all nodded in agreement except for Emily.

Emily was still stunned and confused by Maya's behavior. _Was she really angry at her for dating Paige?_ Emily had no way of knowing since Maya wouldn't even look at her let alone speak to her.

"Emily, agreed?" Jason asked her softly. He knew that her mind must be all over the place right now but he needed her assurance that she wouldn't tell anyone about this.

Emily shifted her eyes from Maya to look at him. She sighed before answering. "Yeah," she whispered nodding her head and shifting her gaze back to Maya.

Maya let out a deep breath and nodded at Jenna. They both turned and headed out of the clearing. "Wait!" Emily's voice filled the air. She moved forward until she was blocked by Jason and Spencer with Hanna and Aria gently holding her back. "Maya, won't you say something to me?" Emily's voice broke.

Maya stopped and nearly crumbled when she heard the pain and confusion in Emily's voice. "Maya…" Jenna spoke softly to her while tugging her forward. She knew that Maya's resolve was breaking fast and she had to get her out of there now. Maya looked up at her and Jenna felt a lump rising in her own throat at the despair she saw in her love's eyes. "…let's go," she gently urged her on. Maya tightened her hand in Jenna's and lowered her eyes, taking a deep breath. When she looked back up, she gave Jenna a weak smile and continued walking with her.

Suddenly, Emily moved forward, trying to push past Spencer and Jason while dragging Hanna and Aria behind her. "Maya, please! Don't go! Please, just talk to me!" Emily pleaded without shame. She desperately needed to get to Maya.

"No, Emily…" Spencer protested gently while holding her ground to keep Emily from getting past her.

"I can't let her go again!" Emily pleaded with her, her voice cracking and strained.

Spencer felt her heart breaking as she watched desperation and fear fill her friend's eyes. She wanted to stop the pain for Emily but she knew that if she let her go after Maya, she would probably end up hurting more.

Crumbling under the weight of helplessness, Emily's heart shattered as she watched Maya disappear into the woods. Just like that she was gone…again.

This was another long chapter and had to be broken into two parts. I will wait a couple of days before I post chapter 6. Review, and please be gentle… :)


	6. Chapter 6

Hi everyone! Once again, thank you for all the reviews. Enjoy!

Jason waited until they disappeared before turning back to the girls and Caleb. He walked over to a nearby log and sat down. He stared at the ground for a moment, contemplating where he should begin. He figured he should start with Maya's supposed death. He raised his head and put his elbows on his knees. "I guess you want to know how it is that she's still alive." He said while taking a deep breath to begin his story.

The girls gathered around him kneeling on the grass except for Caleb who leaned against a tree with his arms folded. He still didn't trust Jason but he listened anyway. Emily was still staring in the direction that Maya had gone in. She was so tempted to run after her and make her talk to her. She felt Aria tug gently on her arm as she led her over to where Jason sitting. Emily, still a little dazed, sat closest to Jason with her legs folded under her.

Jason ran his fingers through his hair and began. "As you all know, Maya dated Lyndon James while she was at True North. She broke it off with him because she wanted to be with Emily. Only Lyndon was not going to let her go that easily. She had no idea how obsessed he was until she started getting texts and phone calls from him constantly. Well, she wasn't the only one who knew about his obsession. _A_ knew too. _A_ had been watching her for a long time, even before her relationship with Emily," he said, looking at Emily sympathetically.

Jason continued. "Anyway, I found out that Lyndon was in town and looking for her. I had been keeping an eye on Maya for many reasons that aren't important right now. He first went to her parent's house but, thankfully, she wasn't there at the time because she was at Emily's swim meet. I called her and asked her to meet me so that I could warn her…" he was saying until Spencer cut him off in mid-sentence.

"That's the day I saw you and her outside of your office," she said, remembering the scene.

"Excuse me, what? Why am I just now hearing about this, Spencer?" Emily asked suspiciously and a little annoyed.

"I'm sorry, Em but I didn't think anything of it at the time and then I just forgot about it, honestly," she assured her friend.

Emily studied her briefly. When she was convinced that Spencer was being sincere, she turned her attention back to Jason. "Go on," she urged him.

Jason went on. "She agreed to meet me and I told her my suspicion that _A_ brought him here to distract her. You see, Lyndon wasn't the only person after Maya and she knew that. We knew that _A_ wanted her dead and I figured that he must have become a part of that plan somehow," he was saying until Emily cut him off.

"How did you know that _A_ was after her?" Emily asked a little apprehensive about hearing the answer.

"The first clue was when her car went off the road and into a ditch because the break line had been 'mysteriously' punctured. Next, she was nearly run down in the parking lot of her school a week after she got back from True North. Thank God she's small and agile. She was able to move out of the way fast enough to avoid being hit; the car missed her by only a few inches," he sighed and shook his head. "After each incident, and sometimes before, she got texts that were signed by _A_. We knew it was only a matter of time before...," he broke off when he saw Emily's reaction.

Emily closed her eyes and turned her head away. The thought of that stuff happening to Maya was making her feel sick to her stomach.

"I urged her to leave town right away. She agreed that too many people would be at risk if she stayed. Lyndon and _A_ were both dangerous and determined. We figured if she disappeared, Lyndon would have no reason to stay and would leave too," Jason took a breath before continuing.

"The plan to hide drugs in her room in a place that her parents would find it was Jenna's idea. She knew that they would send Maya back to True North, giving her the perfect excuse to 'run away'. It worked. Jenna hid them in Maya's top dresser drawer then made a phone call to her mother as a 'concerned friend'. Her parents found it that very same day and threatened to send her back to True North. The next part of the plan was to make everyone believe that she would rather disappear than go back to True North…," Jason was saying when Emily interrupted.

"The swim meet party at Hanna's house, the last time I saw her, she was saying that she was running away to San Francisco," Emily added as she began remembering how bizarre that night had seemed. Maya wasn't acting like herself. She knew something was off. Maya would never have smoked a joint at someone else's house without permission. Hell, she asked Emily's permission when they first met before she smoked in her own house.

Jason nodded. Emily was right but she was also wrong about one thing; that was not the last time she saw Maya. It was only the last time that she could remember. He decided not to mention that detail because it had a story all its own.

"That was the plan. She went to buy the ticket and waited for the bus until Garret showed up. Don't worry, he was in on it; on our side, I mean. He took her to Noel's cabin where she was to lay low for a while until things blew over. We knew that Lyndon wouldn't find her there and _A_ wouldn't think to look there. After all, _A_ knew about Jenna's feelings for her and Jenna's seemingly intimate relationship with Noel," Jason again took a breath.

"Wait, so Jenna and Noel are not together?" Aria asked surprised.

"No, they're not. They were once, briefly, but that was before Maya…," he responded cautiously, glancing at Emily. "Maya and Jenna weren't together at that time but they were good friends," he added quickly before Emily got the wrong idea. "It's complicated but we thought she would be safe there for a while. We were wrong; somehow _A_ found her and led Lyndon right to her. He showed up at one of Noel's parties but Maya wasn't making public appearances at that time," he continued.

"Jenna spotted him first but of course he didn't know that because she was still pretending to be blind; only a handful of us knew that. She left the room and went into the backroom where Maya was and rushed her out the back door. She then contacted me and I met them down the street. We also called Noel and a few others and that's when we came up with a new plan. _A_ knew that Maya was still in Rosewood and was using Lyndon; he was relentless to find her. He was like a bloodhound. So, we decided something had to be done, no matter how drastic especially after Noel's cabin was almost burned down. Noel was able to stop it because he saw a hooded figure on the security camera pouring gas over the windows of the back room where Maya was staying," he shivered slightly at the thought and continued.

"We had to get rid of Lyndon and _A_. The plan was to convince Lyndon that he killed Maya so that he would run and leave town, and _A_ would think that she was dead and stop looking for her. That way, we would have more time to come up with a way to expose the people trying to kill her. That was the ultimate goal but Maya had to be alive and in town for that to happen. She hated the plan but we were running out of options and she was running out of time," Jason said, pausing for questions he knew were coming.

"I don't get it. Why Maya though?" Hanna took the opportunity to ask the question that she knew was on everyone's mind.

Jason answered carefully. "Maya knows things that she shouldn't. I can't say much more than that. It's a burden she never asked for but landed on her back all the same. It's also a burden that has made her a target," his voice trailed off.

Spencer felt a cold chill run up and down her spine. She believed him when he said that Maya knew things. She just proved it to Spencer only minutes ago. How she knew these things and why were the real questions. Questions only Maya and _A_ could answer. She shivered again.

Emily was visibly shaken up as she listened to the story. _Jesus, Maya. Why didn't you tell me any of this? _She crossed her arms over her chest horrified that Maya had been dealing with this and she never had a clue about any of it.

"What others?" Aria was the only one that seemed to have caught that. _Spencer is obviously distracted by something to have missed it_. She thought to herself.

"Unfortunately, that is a question I can't answer. I can tell you that there are a couple others that have an interest in keeping Maya alive and that's all I can say," he responded.

"Go on, Jason" Emily urged. She needed to know the rest.

Jason swallowed hard and continued. "We went back into the party and made sure that Lyndon saw Maya. She was standing by the back door talking to Jenna when he approached them. Maya took his hand and put a finger to her lips telling him to keep quiet. She told Jenna that she was going to get some fresh air and led him outside. Jenna then came to the back room to fill me and Noel in; it was all planned. Outside Maya spoke with him and told him about her parents wanting to send her back to True North and that she was staying here for a while. She told him that she was also back with Emily and wanted nothing to do with him anymore, in that way."

"Lyndon got pissed and started yelling that if he couldn't have her, no one could. He reached for her but she pulled away quick enough to have him grabbing at air. Me and Noel went outside and called for her. He warned her that he would be back and next time she was coming with him. He then took off running. The plan was in motion," Jason stopped to take another breath.

He waited a few seconds to see if there were any questions. When he saw them all leaning in to hear more, he continue. "Let's skip to the night of the masquerade ball. I met with Jenna at the park because that was the day when we were going to finish what we started with Lyndon James. She gave me a box with Maya's personal stuff in it, jewelry etc. She said that everyone would be at the ball. It was perfect."

"I called Maya on the prepaid phone that I had gotten for her because we knew that her phone was being monitored. We discarded weeks earlier and please don't ask how. Now is not the right time for that. Anyway, I told her to call Lyndon and have him meet her at the park to talk and she did. Meanwhile, I collected on a debt," Jason paused contemplating whether he should tell this part of the story. There were others involved and he knew he shouldn't mention them.

"Maya went to the park and waited, when she saw his Jeep pull up, she drove away and he followed. She drove to Emily's house and jumped out of the car and ran into Emily's backyard. Just like we thought, he ran after her. As he coming around the corner, I pushed him forward and Maya hit him on the side of the head, knocking him out. I told Maya to go and then I…" Jason stopped abruptly. He thought for a second and carefully chose his words.

Jason continued. "Let's just say that I took care of the rest. When Lyndon woke up, he was still dizzy but managed to get to his feet. He walked towards the body…," he was saying.

"The body?! Jason, what hell did you do?" Spencer interrupted completely stunned. Total shock covered the faces of everyone else listening to Jason's story.

Jason ran his hand through his hair and stared at the ground. Maybe he should have left this part out but it was out there now. He lifted his head and looked Spencer in the eye. "I can't go into that. I'm sorry but I shouldn't be saying this much about it," he answered before continuing his story.

"The body, of course, was laying face down. It was dark already but I knew he would recognize the clothes. He also recognized the purse I threw down just a few feet away. He stumbled back a little but moved toward it again. This time he was crying and saying her name and reaching for her. When I thought he was getting too close, I flashed a flashlight in his direction and yelled, 'who's there? I'm calling the police." When he heard that, he took off, jumped in his Jeep and sped away. I grabbed Maya's purse and left. I called and left an anonymous tip for the police and took Maya out of town that very night," Jason leaned back and again waited for questions.

Emily was the first to speak, "But why my house?"

"Simple. We knew you weren't home and neither was anyone else. We also considered the scenario, _'Lyndon followed Maya to Emily's house and killed her in a fit of jealousy in the backyard. His jealously fueled by a video that he received from someone anonymous; a video meant for Emily. Maya was coming back to her and he was going to stop that from happening.'_ We knew that would be believable," he responded.

"That was pretty freaking dangerous, Jason! That psycho went after Emily!" Aria was outraged.

"Yes, I know. We underestimated how obsessed he was. Not only that but the fact that he made some friends that ended up using him, also became a problem. Not that it will make much of a difference but we don't believe he had any really intention on killing Emily and, just in case we were wrong, Noel was closer than you think," Jason sighed.

"So, you're telling me I killed a man for nothing?" Emily asked in horror.

"No! You had no way of knowing what he was planning. He went after you and you defended yourself. Don't forget that! He was an obsessed crazed psycho and very unpredictable. That's why Noel was there, just in case," Jason reassured her.

"This doesn't sound right; not at all. I can definitely see that Maya has changed but I don't buy that she would put Emily in danger like that. Jenna knew he was still in town which means Maya knew," Aria pointed out.

"You're right. Jenna did know, as did the rest of us; all except Maya. Maya was still out of town at the time. Jenna tried to get close to Lyndon to find out what his intentions were when she saw him talking to Emily at the Brew. We were all shocked when he pretended to be Maya's cousin but we couldn't say anything without telling how we knew he was lying. But make no mistake, we watched him very closely," Jason responded.

"Then, why did Jenna back off after CeCe made that call to her pretending to be his girlfriend?" Emily asked.

"All I'll say is that Jenna knew exactly who she was on the phone with and she didn't back off. She did publically but she knew his every move. Trust me, we all did including _A_," he responded in a voice that made it clear that he would say nothing more about CeCe.

The girls all looked at each other, knowing that they were all thinking the same thing. This web was more tangled than anyone of them could ever have imagined.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute! We all know that Mona is _A,_ and yeah, someone might be helping her but why would Maya still in danger? Does she know whose helping her? This doesn't make any sense," Hanna put her hand up to her forehead.

"Look, I'll say one last thing and then I have to go. I've given you more details than I intended to already. _A_ is not one specific person but multiple people. Yes, Mona is one of them but not the only one. Each of them have their own reasons and sometimes their own agendas," Jason said with finality as he stood up from the log.

"Hold on a second! You can't drop a bombshell like that and just walk away," Spencer stood up as well.

"Trust me; it's better for all if I leave it at that. Like I said, I've already said too much. Now, I expect you to hold up your part of the agreement. Everything that happened and was said here stays here. No one can know any of it," Jason gave his final warning before turning to leave.

"Jason, wait. One last question, please?" Emily's voice was strained.

Jason had no idea what her question would be but he dreaded it all the same. He turned to her and nodded for her to continue.

Emily cleared her throat. "How long has Maya known about _A_?"

Jason shook his head, looking at her pleadingly. He didn't want to answer that and he knew that she really didn't want to know. "Emily, don't…" he was saying.

"How long, Jason?" Emily interrupted him.

Jason sighed. For some reason he felt obligated to answer her questions. "I don't know exactly when she found out. I know it was sometime before she went to True North."

Emily silently groaned. Shaking her head slightly she kept pressing. "How did she find out?"

"Jenna," Jason answered simply. Seeing that Emily was now deep in thought, he took the opportunity to leave. He turned and started jogging back in the direction that he left Maya's bag and his phone. He needed to meet up with Maya and Jenna quickly.

The girls and Caleb watched him go in silence. What the hell were they suppose to do with this new information and even more questions. The main questions being: who is Maya, really, and who the hell else is working with Mona to try and ruin them?

The ride back to Hanna's house was spent in complete silence. No one knew what to say but regularly stole glances at Emily and each other. Even Caleb glanced in the rear view mirror several times to look at her. Although no one spoke, each one of them went over the events of the morning in their heads, trying to digest what had just happened.

Emily stared off out the window. She felt physically exhausted, thoroughly confused and emotionally drained. She should be used to things like this by now. A perfect start to the day ended in total chaos and confusion. She was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't notice any of the others looking at her.

When they finally arrived at Hanna's house, Emily was the first one out of the car. She started walking up the road until she was stopped by Spencer who gently grabbed her arm. "Emily…," she spoke softly.

Emily turned to look at her, trying desperately not to break down right then and there. "I'm fine. I just really need to be alone right now," she said wearily.

Spencer hesitated but could see how exhausted her friend was. She hadn't seen Emily this haggard since the night they supposedly found Maya's body. With a warm and sympathetic smile, she nodded at her. "Okay, but call me any time, day or night. You don't have to deal with this on your own. We're here for you Em, always. You know that," she spoke sincerely while lightly rubbing Emily's arm.

"I know. Thanks," Emily gave her a weak smile before turning and walking away.

Spencer stood still for a moment as she watched Emily disappear around the corner at the end of the block. She then turned to the girls and Caleb who were also watching Emily walk away. She walked over to them and they all looked at each other knowing how they were going to spend the rest of the afternoon. They walked into the house and began their theory exchange while Hanna brewed another pot coffee.

Please review. Chapter 7 will be up later today and it's a long one.


	7. Chapter 7

This is a long chapter but needed. Enjoy!

Maya sat back in her chair, leaning it back on its hind legs so that she could rest her head against the wall. She closed her eyes and tried to drown out the voices around her. She had no idea where she was or how she got there and, at that moment, didn't really care. Lost in her own thoughts, everything happening around her went unnoticed even Noel's arrival.

Noel handed Jason a disposable cell phone and a set of car keys. Jenna paced, wringing her hands while Jason filled him in on what happened that morning. He was speaking to him and someone else on the phone simultaneously. He had been on the phone with a few different people ever since he left the woods. This was a serious problem that could delay their plans, if not crush them completely. They needed to meet to go over what to do next but now was not the time. Jason still had to get Maya out of town immediately and now it was more crucial than before.

"Maya, are you ready?" Jason asked softly.

Maya opened her eyes and looked up into his worried face. She sighed and leaned the chair forward as she stood up. "Yeah," she uttered just above a whisper. She walked over to Jenna and pulled her into a hug. They held each other for a couple of minutes before Maya pulled away leaving Jenna with a lingering kiss on her lips.

"Guys, I'm really sorry but…," Jason began but was silenced by Maya's slightly raised hand.

"I know," Maya spoke, saving him the trouble of having to break the news that no one would be seeing her anytime soon. The three-day agreement and initial one-week agreement were officially out of the question. She turned her attention back to Jenna who was now looking at her sadly.

Jenna opened her mouth to speak but was sweetly silenced by the feel of Maya's lips against hers. "I'll see you soon," Maya whispered against her lips before pulling away.

"See you soon," Jenna responded giving her a loving smile.

Maya smiled back and turned to walk with Jason when suddenly Noel stepped in her path. "What about me?" Noel exclaimed in mock hurt.

Maya rolled her eyes at his usual antics and was quickly wrapped into a tight embrace. Noel leaned his weight on her so much that she wasn't able to lift her arms to hug him back or push him away. He rested his head on her shoulder, closed his eyes and with a smile on his face started swaying to some unheard music. He started humming as he swayed Maya back and forth letting his hand lightly run up and down her back.

"Noel, if you don't get the hell off of me…" Maya let the warning linger in the air. Noel's eyes flew open as he released her.

"Oh, sorry. I got a little carried away for a second," he faked nervousness and embarrassment.

Maya shook her head and laughed at him. Noel was like an overgrown, horny adolescent but virtually harmless. He always found ways to make her laugh. "Goodbye, Noel," she smirked at him before continuing to follow Jason out of the room.

Noel looked over at Jenna who now had her arms crossed looking at him sternly. "What?" He asked innocently.

"First of all, can you stop trying to molest my girlfriend every chance you get?" Jenna asked accusingly.

"Why do you get to have all the fun?" Noel countered with a frown.

"Oh, shut up," she waved her hand at him and started walking out of the room.

Noel followed behind her, still talking. "You know, I really miss her spending the night at my cabin. Those sexy pajamas she wore…," he continued taunting her.

"Shut up, Noel!" Jenna warned in mocked anger.

Five days later...

The days passed by in a blur for Emily. Finding it hard to concentrate on even the smallest things, she was starting to fall behind in her schoolwork and making little mistakes at her job. Everything was so out of balance.

Emily sat at the lunch table with her friends, pushing her fork at her food. Aria, Hanna and Spencer felt so helpless, watching their best friend become more and more isolated day after day. They tried their best to get her mind focused on other things and just when they thought they were making progress, Emily would just become distant again. They were hoping that she was going to loosen up and try to have some fun tonight.

They were all going out together for a night of dinner and dancing. It was Friday night and this outing had been planned for weeks. Emily was actually really excited about it until five days ago.

Emily was pulled from her thoughts at the sound of Jenna's voice across the cafeteria. She looked on in disgust as Jenna strolled around the room playing the "It Girl" like a pro with her boy toy, Noel, following right behind her like a puppy. Emily could barely stand to look at her anymore. The thought of Jenna's hands on Maya made her nauseous and extremely angry. She pulled her eyes away and tried to focus on what her friends were talking about.

Just then, Paige sat down next to Emily and flashed a bright smile. "Are we still on for tonight?" She asked hopeful.

"Of course. Be at my house by 7:30," Emily answered sweetly while forcing her best smile. She sighed with relief when she heard the sound of the bell and was the first one on her feet, lunch tray in hand. "I'll see you guys tonight. I want to get to class early," she lied. She just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. Emily waved goodbye, put up her tray and left the cafeteria without looking back even once.

Meanwhile...

Maya laid in bed staring at the ceiling deep in her own thoughts. _How did everything get so messed up? And, why can't I get Emily out of my head?_ She tried to relax but it was useless. She had been racked with anxiety for the past several days and it was becoming increasing frustrating. Maya grabbed the pillow that was lying next to her and covered her face with it, closing her eyes tight. It was as if she was trying to will Emily out of her thoughts. Finally, she sat up and threw the pillow across the room.

_This is so stupid! Why am I torturing myself? _ Maya was dangerously close to making a decision that she had been contemplating since that day in the woods. She pushed herself out of bed and started pacing the floor. If she did what she had in mind, Jason would probably kill her and save everyone else the trouble. As risky as the decision was, she was almost ready to go for it.

Maya was so lost in her thoughts that before she knew it, hours passed her by. She only noticed because her room was now shrouded in darkness. Maya flipped on a light and decided to take a shower to try and clear her mind. When she was done, she made herself something to eat since she hadn't eaten all day.

After cleaning up, she leaned against a wall in the little kitchenette area with her arms crossed. Her eyes roamed the room as her thoughts came flooding back to her. Suddenly, her eyes locked onto a drawer under a cabinet on the other side of the room. She bit her bottom lip and tapped her foot rapidly.

_Screw it…decision made_. Maya walked quickly over to the drawer and roughly pulled it open. She grabbed the disposable cell phone and set of car keys before slamming it shut. Within minutes, she was zipping up her hoodie and walking out of the door. The car was parked a half of a mile away and was only supposed to be used in case of an emergency getaway. Well, in her opinion, this was a damn emergency.

Maya needed to speak to Emily tonight. _I'll start following the rules again tomorrow_. She told herself as she headed to the car.

One-hour car ride later...

Maya made her way through the yards quietly but quickly, staying within the shadows and as low to the ground as possible without crawling. She kept to the outer edges of the yards behind the houses that lined the opposite side of the street from Emily's house. She knew that someone else might be watching her house but they would more than likely be closer for a better view through the windows.

It was a good thing that Maya was familiar with this route to Emily's house. She had a pretty good idea of the distance she needed to maintain in order to avoid tripping the sensors that would set off the floodlights in some of the yards. She also knew which houses had dogs and was grateful that they were all on chains that were anchored with lengths that didn't extend past the sensor zones. No one paid much attention to their barking because of all the raccoons and little vermin that frequented this neighborhood.

Maya felt a little sad at the fact that she knew these things. Ever since she went missing, she had been reduced to hiding in the shadows and sneaking through yards just to check on Emily. She would get so worried about her that she would go through this routine just to get a glimpse of her to know that she was okay. Even though she regularly got reports from Jason and the others, sometimes she needed to see for herself.

Meanwhile...

Emily sat on her bed with her hands gripping the edges, just staring at the floor. Everyone was down stairs waiting for her but she couldn't will herself to move. She didn't feel like doing a night out; she just wanted to crawl into bed and be alone. She knew the girls weren't going to let her sit this one out. They had been doting over her all week with that "poor Emily" look on their faces. She hated that but understood that they were just concerned, and now Paige was starting to become suspicious, constantly asking her what was wrong.

As much as she wanted to skip this outing, she knew it would only invite more sympathy and more suspicion from Paige. Emily closed her eyes and took a deep breath in preparation for her upcoming performance as "happy Emily." As she was opening her eyes, she heard a light knock at her door. She pushed herself off of the bed, smoothed out her dress, squared her shoulders, and lifted her chin. She put a smile on her face and walked over to the door. With one more deep breath she opened it.

Paige stood on the other side, smiling adoringly at her. "Are you ready?" She asked. With the smile never leaving her face, her eyes roamed Emily's tall, toned, and very well-balanced figure. "Wow…" was all she could say as she took in the beauty of the girl that stood in front of her.

Before she could continue, Emily took her hand. "Thanks," she responded just above a whisper. Emily smiled at her and attempted to walk out into the hallway when Paige gently pushed her back into the room. Closing the door behind her, she pulled Emily close to her by the waist.

Paige's eyes were intense and Emily could see them shifting from adoring to lustful. She suddenly became uncomfortable and a little apprehensive. _Why am I feeling this way? It's not like I haven't been intimate with her before. I 'm attracted to Paige so why do I want her to stop looking at me like that?_ Emily tried to shake her thoughts, hoping that they weren't being made physically obvious.

Paige leaned in and kissed her, soft at first and then with a little more intensity. Emily responded, parting her lips and letting Paige's tongue slide into her mouth and message her own. She closed her eyes and tried to give herself over to the kiss, matching Paige's intensity, but was horrified to find that she wanted the kiss to end.

_Damn it! This is Maya's fault._ Emily thought frustratingly to herself. Her feelings had been all over the place ever since that day in the woods. She couldn't even think straight anymore because Maya dominated her thoughts and emotions. _Damn it! How can everyone expect me to act like nothing's changed when everything has? Maya's alive, and apparently wants nothing to do with me, and I'm supposed to go back to things like every thing's normal? This isn't right. Don't I get a say in any of this?_ Emily's mental rant came to an end as Paige pulled away to catch her breath.

A shocked look spread across Paige's face as she saw the frustration and anger in Emily's eyes. "Did I do something wrong, Em?" She asked cautiously and a little confused.

Emily, caught off guard by Paige's question, quickly got back into character. Her eyes softened as she wrapped her arms around Paige's neck and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "You did nothing wrong. You've been so perfect to me. I just have some things on my mind right now. I'm sorry if I've been acting strange," Emily kissed her lips softly before pulling away and taking her by the hand. "Shall we?" Emily smiled seductively at her.

Paige brightened at Emily's flirtation and followed her out into the hallway. She stopped just before they hit the top of the stairs and bent her arm so that Emily could put her arm through hers. They smiled at each other and Emily giggled at the pride she saw in Paige's eyes. She was so adorable when she played the "perfect gentleman" that Emily couldn't help but laugh.

Paige winked and smiled sheepishly at her before guiding her down the stairs to meet up with the others.

Meanwhile...

Maya finally made it to the house that sat directly across from Emily's. Yes, the house that was too damn close to Jenna's for her liking. She carefully moved around the outer edge until she hit the perimeter of the neighboring house. Moving along its edge toward the side, she darted in between the houses. For some reason, these houses had no sensors between them; just in the backyards. Maya never understood that.

She kept her back pressed tightly against the side of the house, making her way toward the front where she would have a good view of Emily's house. Once there, she peered across the street and almost immediately saw movement along the bushes in front of the house, just below the living room windows. "Hmmm…" she smirked. _He is not slick at all. I mean, really? If I can see you so can anyone else who walks by or comes out of their house on this side of the street._ She shook her head as she watched the dark hooded figure move along the bushes.

Maya shifted her attention to the windows that led into the living room. She saw people moving around that she easily identified. Caleb sat on the couch talking to Hanna who was sitting on the arm of it. Spencer stood in front of the fireplace with a drink in her hand talking to Aria. They were all dressed as if they were going out. Maya scanned the other windows but saw no sign of Emily.

Just then, Paige entered the room with Emily on her arm. Maya gasped at the sight of her. Her long beautiful silky black hair flowed down her back and over her right shoulder. Her skin was radiant against the nearly sheer black dress she wore with a hem that stopped at mid-thigh. Only one strap, that hung over her left shoulder, held the dress up while her curves held the rest of it in place. _My God…_ Maya's mouth fell open as she watched Emily flash her gorgeous white smile while walking over to join her friends at the fireplace.

_Maybe this was a bad idea._ Maya thought to herself while trying to pull her eyes away from Emily. _She looks like she's going out anyway. Maybe I can catch her another time, preferably when she's not looking like that. Who am I kidding? She's distracting in sweatpants and a t-shirt. Augh, no! I have to talk to her tonight. Maya, put your damn hormones in check; you're not here for that!_ She scolded herself.

Maya watched as Emily excused herself and made her way out of the room, stopping briefly next to Paige to give her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"I'm just going to grab my purse and phone. I'll be right back," Emily told her as she ran her hand gently down her arm. Paige smiled at her and turned to watch her figure disappear up the stairs.

_Okay, here goes._ Maya pulled her disposable cell phone out of her pocket, praying that Emily had her phone on her and that it wasn't laying somewhere that someone else may see it. She nervously sent the first text: **Delete after you read each text & do not reply.**

Emily just reached her bedroom when she heard her cell phone chime. She picked it up off of the dresser and read the text. She froze after reading it but her mind raced. She raised her eyes from the phone screen with a frown on her face. _What the hell? _She had no idea why she was doing this but she clicked on the edit button, checked the text and paused. Her thumb hovered over the Delete button briefly. Finally, she inhaled and hit the button. She held the phone with both hands and waited, not really sure what she was waiting for.

Just then her phone chimed again. Emily held her breath and read the second text: **Can we talk? If yes, wait 5 seconds, then walk over to your window and close the shades. Don't look out of it. **

Emily's heart started racing. _This has to be Maya! But what if it isn't? But what if it is?_ She had to know. She quickly looked at her watch. Five seconds had passed so she moved toward the window and closed the shades just like she was told. She then deleted the text.

Maya watched as Emily pulled her shades closed. All that could be seen was light escaping through the blinds. She smiled to herself as she began typing the third text: **Can you stay home tonight? I really want to talk face to face. If yes, turn off your light, wait 10 seconds then turn on the light in your mother's room. Wait 3 seconds then turn it off.**

Without hesitation, Emily grabbed her purse and flicked off the light. She headed into the hallway and walked quickly toward her mom's room while deleting the text, only to be cut off by Paige. "Em, I just want to make sure that you're okay. Y ou said you have things on your mind. Do you want to talk real quick before we go?" She asked concerned. Emily had a panicked look in her eyes as she held her cell phone tight in her hand, prompting Paige to continue. "Is that a text from _A_? Come on, Emily. Talk to me," she pleaded.

_I don't have time for this! _Emily knew that 10 seconds were passing by rapidly and Paige was blocking her path. She had to get around her without raising any more suspicion. "No, there's no text. I'm fine, I just have to get something out of my mom's room," she said, trying her best to sound convincing.

Paige looked at her suspiciously. As much as Emily tried to hide it, she heard the hint of irritation in her tone. Paige hesitated as Emily tried to walk pass her. They stood in the hallway staring at each other until Emily flashed her a warm smile. "I'll be down in a minute," she spoke softly and kissed Paige on the lips. Paige softened and kissed her back. She then moved out of Emily's way and disappeared down the stairs. Emily exhaled and practically ran the rest of the way to her mother's room.

Ten seconds had passed and there was no light coming from Emily's mom's room. Maya felt her heart drop a little. _Maybe she doesn't want to see me? I did treat her pretty bad the other day but I need to tell her why._ Maya's mind examined all the possibilities. _Maybe she doesn't know who is sending the texts? I didn't put my name on them. So, why did she respond to the second one? Augh, what difference does it make anyway? I shouldn't even be here. This was a stupid idea! _She cursed herself for her naivety.

Maya shifted her gaze from the bedroom window back to the bushes in front of the house. _Where are you, Toby?_ She thought as she scanned the yard. She caught movement out of the corner of her eye and saw him crouching low right below the hallway window that led to the front door. Spencer and Paige were standing there talking, no doubt about Emily. Maya started to back away, getting ready to turn and head back behind the houses when she saw a light flash on from the upstairs window. It was Pam's bedroom light! She stopped and checked her watch. Exactly three seconds later, the light went out.

Maya closed her eyes and let out a deep breath. She smiled as she began typing the fourth text: **Once everyone leaves, turn off all the lights, shut the blinds and wait in the kitchen.**

Emily stood at the top of the stairs as she read the text. She again deleted it and started searching for an excuse to stay home. This wasn't going to be easy but it had to happen. If the texts were from Maya, there is no way that she was going to miss a chance to finally talk to her, alone. On the other hand, if they weren't from her, she had to let someone know what was happening just in case. But, who could she tell? Her mind explored her options and the only logical conclusion she could think of was Aria.

"Aria! Can you come here for a minute?" Emily yelled down the stairs.

Aria was talking to Hanna when she heard Emily's call. "Yeah," she answered, making her way up the stairs. "What's up, Em?" She asked once she reached the top.

"Come with me," Emily whispered hurriedly and grabbed her hand, dragging her to her bedroom. She pushed her inside and closed the door. Aria turned to reach for the light switch but had her hand swatted away. "No, no lights. Just listen," Emily whispered.

"Em, you're scaring me. What is going on?" Aria asked a little frightened.

"I can't go out tonight. I got a text from...I'm pretty sure it's Maya. Anyway, in case it isn't, I wanted you to know why I'm really staying home. I'm going to tell the others that I'm sick and need you to play along," Emily tried to plead her case as she waited for Aria's response.

"Wait, so you're going to stay home alone waiting for someone that you think is Maya all because of a text? Have you lost your mind?" Aria whispered frantically.

"Shhhh…yes. I have to know if it's her. Look, I'll send you a text if it is. If you don't get anything within the hour, call the police," Emily tried to make a deal with her.

"I don't know about this. It's too dangerous. What if you're being set up?" Aria asked, rationally.

"There are a lot of 'what ifs' Aria but I'm never going to get any answers if I don't take a chance. I have to know and I need your help," Emily countered with finality in her voice.

Aria knew that Emily was determined. She sighed, "Fine but if I don't hear from you in ONE hour, I'm calling the police, Maya or no Maya. Agreed?" She offered her deal with total seriousness.

"Agreed and thank you. Remember, you can't mention this to anyone," Emily felt the need to reemphasize that point.

"I know. Okay, so you're sick. Did I see you throw up or something?" Aria asked, trying to ensure that she knew the story.

Emily thought for a moment. "Ummm, I guess that could work," she answered uncertain. Emily wasn't good at coming up with on the spot lies.

Aria rolled her eyes and sighed. "Okay, let's go. You lead," she waved her hand towards the door.

Emily nodded and opened the door. She headed down the stairs with Aria right behind her. As she approached the bottom step, Paige walked over to her with Spencer behind her. "Are we ready?" She asked, looking back and forth between Emily and Aria.

Emily swallowed and placed a weak smile on her face. "I'm not feeling well. I think I should sit this one out," she answered, squirming slightly.

Paige looked at Aria and then over at Spencer. Aria gently stroked Emily's back with a concerned look on her face. "Poor thing; she just threw up. She should really get some rest. " She looked at Emily. "I'll call you in the morning. Make sure you rest and call if you need anything," she gave Emily one last look before walking past her and heading into the living room.

Spencer knew something was up but didn't let on. "Rest up Em," she said simply and followed Aria. Paige didn't move. She looked at Emily inquisitively. "What happened? I just saw you a few minutes ago and you were fine," she questioned.

Emily tried to think fast, "I don't know. Honestly, I haven't been feeling like myself lately, a little fatigued. I guess it just caught up with me," she answered, trying to sound as nauseous as possible.

Paige bought it. Emily had been acting strange. Maybe with a cold coming on, she just felt out of sorts. Paige smiled at her sympathetically. "Do you want me to stay with you? I could make you some soup and keep you company for a while," she offered.

"No, but thanks. I just want to sleep. I'm so tired. I know you've been looking forward to this. We've been planning this for weeks. Go, have fun; for me too," Emily smiled gently at her.

"It's no problem, Em. I'd rather stay with you. Let me take care of you," she tried to reason with her.

"You're so sweet but I really just want to rest. I'll feel better knowing that you're having fun. Please Paige; go," Emily managed to sound really sincere.

Paige paused for a moment to contemplate what she should do. She finally decided to respect Emily's wishes. "Okay, but call me if you need anything. Okay?" She compromised.

"I will; I promise," Emily answered. She leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. "Good night and call me tomorrow," she instructed.

"Okay, good night," Paige answered before kissing Emily on the lips and turning to walk into the living room.

Aria informed everyone that Emily would be staying home tonight and that they should probably get going since Ezra and Toby were supposed to meet them in 30 minutes. Everyone agreed and said their goodbyes and "I hope you feel better" wishes to Emily.

Emily stood at the front door as they loaded into their cars. Paige looked at her waved with a warm smile. Emily waved back and turned to go back into the house but paused briefly to quickly scan the yard and street. She didn't hesitate too long because she didn't want anyone to notice.

Emily walked into the house and closed the door. She waited until she heard the last car drive away before she started closing the blinds and turning off lights. Once she was done, she went into the kitchen, cell phone in hand, and waited.

Maya watched as everyone left; everyone except the figure stalking outside of the house. She hoped he would leave soon. _Come on Toby. The way Spencer is all dolled up, I'm sure you two have plans to meet._ She thought to herself as she looked at her watch. She rested against the side of the house and waited.

At least 20 minutes passed before Maya saw Toby finally jog down the road and disappear in between two houses less than a quarter of a block away. She decided to wait a little longer before moving, just to be safe.

Emily paced in the kitchen with her nerves on edge. _What am I doing? What if it wasn't Maya?_ She nervously looked at the clock. It's been over 20 minutes since they left and no text; no more instructions. Her cell phone was clutched tight in her hands and she periodically checked it to make sure that she didn't miss a text.

Maya let 15 more minutes pass. When she was sure that it was clear, she sent the last text: **Keep the lights out and unlock the back door.**

Emily jumped and nearly dropped her phone when it chimed, pulling her away from her thoughts unexpectedly. She quickly read the text as her heart once again began to race. _Oh, God. Here we go._ She thought while moving quickly to the back door and unlocking it. She then went back to the kitchen counter and leaned her back against it. Suddenly, the thought occurred to her again that this could be a setup. She looked around the kitchen frantically for a weapon in case she needed one. She grabbed a butcher knife from the knife block on the counter and locked her fingers around it, holding it tight in her hand pressing it against the counter.

In her other hand, Emily gripped her cell phone. Within minutes, which to her seemed like an eternity, she heard the door handle turn on the back door. Emily starting breathing fast as adrenalin pumped through her body. The hinges on the door screeched, and the sound of a footstep boomed in her ears. Her heart rate sped up as she saw a dark figure come into sight. The figure closed the door and locked it, turning slowly toward her.

Maya took a step forward before reaching up and pulling her hood down.

Emily released her grasp on the knife when she saw the wavy dark locks fall down around Maya's shoulders. Her apprehensiveness suddenly replaced by nervous butterflies as she gazed at her. Maya moved toward her slowly, cautiously. The moonlight caught her eyes and Emily inhaled sharply as they sparkled. She remembered how amazing Maya's eyes looked when light played off of them. She honestly wasn't sure if it was the light or just Maya herself.

Maya stopped a few feet away from Emily. She had a gentle smile on her lips and her eyes searched hers. "Hey…," she whispered.

Emily looked deeply into her eyes and smiled affectionately; her heart still racing. "Hey…," she whispered back.

Please review. Can Maya maintain control of this situation? We'll see…


	8. Chapter 8

_Maya stopped a few feet away from Emily. She had a gentle smile on her lips and her eyes searched Emily's. "Hey…," she whispered._

_Emily looked deeply into her eyes and smiled affectionately; her heart racing. "Hey…," she whispered back._

Maya took another step closer, mentally trying to find the words to say in that moment. She had rehearsed what she would say but now couldn't find the words. Her own heart was now racing and she could feel the nervousness coursing through her. _Say something, Maya. Say something, anything._ She looked down at the floor momentarily before raising her eyes slowly back up to Emily's. Nearly blinded by a sudden flash, she shifted her eyes in the direction of the source to see that Emily's hand was resting on a knife.

Maya looked back at Emily a little surprised but understood the situation. "Sorry. I should have put something in the texts to let you know it was me. I didn't mean to frighten you," she apologized feeling a little reckless that she hadn't thought to do that in the first place, especially with everything that was happening. _Note to self; don't do that again. Next time find a way to identify yourself. Wait; will there be a next time?_ Maya wasn't sure that there would be.

Taken back by her comment, it took a brief second for Emily to register what she just heard. She had been so nervous about what Maya would say to her that when she did speak, Emily froze. She followed Maya's gaze and realized that she was looking at the knife under her hand. She quickly pushed the knife away and turned back to Maya. "No; it's ok," she reassured her. She didn't want Maya distracted by that.

It suddenly hit Emily that she needed to send Aria a text before the police were called. The last thing she needed was for them to show up at her house, especially tonight. "I'm sorry, I just need to send Aria a text and let her know that I'm okay," she said, realizing that it sounded more like she was asking Maya's permission than informing her. Maya nodded and Emily quickly sent the text to Aria. When she finished she put both hands back on the counter and shifted her focus back to Maya.

Maya lowered her eyes to the floor again while Emily anxiously waited for her next words. She raised her eyes again and softly cleared her throat. "Can we…go up to your room?" She asked barely managing not to stutter.

Emily's lips parted with one eyebrow rising slightly. Maya noticed the reaction and quickly tried to clarify what she intended by the question. "It's just that there's less windows up there," she added, almost shyly.

Emily exhaled before answering. "Sure," she motioned with her head for Maya to follow her. Every nerve in her body was on edge as Maya stepped even closer to her. She wanted so desperately to reach out to her and wrap her in her arms. The only thing that stopped her was the fear of scaring her away.

Emily wasn't sure where Maya's mind was or how she would react. She still remembered the day in the woods when Maya, for the first time since they met, rejected her. Emily knew she wouldn't survive another rejection like that, not from Maya. She slowly pushed herself away from the counter and found herself now only inches away from her.

_Oh, Maya…_ Emily gazed into her eyes, falling deeper into the beautiful sparkling brown eyes that stared up into her own. She could feel herself losing the battle. Any moment now, she could see herself reaching for her if she didn't move away quickly. It was as if Maya could hear her thoughts and took pity on her. She lowered her eyes to the floor, breaking the eye contact.

Reluctantly but a little relieved, Emily turned and headed out of the kitchen toward the stairs.

Maya followed but kept her head down and eyes fixed on the floor as they walked. She also maintained as much distance between them as possible. Even still, she could smell the scent of Emily's skin circling around her. When they finally reached Emily's room, she felt even more nervous than before. The need to be close to Emily was becoming overwhelming with each passing moment. It's one thing to fight your desires when others are around but it's an entirely different matter when you are alone with the one you desire most in the world. Maya seriously overestimated her resolve but couldn't turn back now.

Emily placed her hand on the door handle, pausing briefly. She took a deep breath and opened the door, stepping aside and allowing Maya to enter first. Her hesitation didn't go unnoticed. Maya slowly walked pass her, focusing on the other side of the room and not daring to look at her. Once inside, she walked as far to the other side of the room as possible, putting distance between her and Emily. Her head was still down when she turned to face her.

Emily stepped inside and closed the door behind her. She turned towards Maya with her eyes locked on her. She didn't move but stood perfectly still. She hoped that Maya would say something soon because the intense uncertainty of the moment was becoming more than she could bare. Her knees were starting to become weak and she knew that it was only a matter of time before they buckled beneath her.

What Emily didn't know is that Maya was just as anxious. She didn't expect this when she came to the decision to meet with Emily. Finally, she decided to speak and hoped the anxiety wouldn't be heard in her voice.

"I know that you got a lot of answers from Jason but I think you should get some directly from me. Spencer was right; you do deserve that," Maya began. "I'll tell you as much as I can and explain as much as I can…" her voice trailed off. Her eyes were still fixed on the floor.

Emily took a few steps closer to her, wanting her to look at her but not daring to speak and interrupt. She wanted her to go on. Maya took a breath and continued. "First, I need you to know that I never wanted to hurt you. That day in the woods took me by surprise; took us all by surprise. You weren't supposed to know that I was alive yet or maybe ever," her voice involuntarily broke at the last part.

Emily could hear the pain in her voice. Her heart was bursting and her need to hold Maya was growing with such intensity that she couldn't fight it anymore. Before she could stop herself, she crossed the room in a flash and wrapped her arms around her. Emily's arms circled Maya's neck so fast that she didn't even have a chance to look up. Her face was pressed against Emily's chest and her arms instinctively closed themselves around her waist. They both pulled each other tighter, pressing their bodies together.

Maya could feel Emily's heart pounding against the side of her face as her chest heaved. She didn't need to see her face to know that she was weeping. Emily started to whimper, as her arms tightened around Maya's neck. She buried her face into Maya's soft locks and let her tears fall; finally giving into her emotions, her pain, her sorrow, and her deep love for Maya that never really left her no matter how hard she had tried to let her go.

Maya could feel Emily starting to tremble so she gently pulled her toward the bed without breaking their embrace. Once she felt the edge of it against her leg, she turned Emily so that she could sit her down on it. Emily complied but kept her arms tight around Maya.

Maya maneuvered herself so that she could sit next to her without breaking their hold on each other. She delicately stroked Emily's back in an attempt to calm her but the action had a reverse affect. Emily's sobs were now coming harder and faster, her body shaking uncontrollably. Maya held her tighter as tears welled up in her own eyes. Emily's sorrow was killing her but she didn't dare ask her to stop crying. She just held her and let Emily do what she needed to do.

After several minutes, Emily finally turned her head to face Maya. She cupped Maya's face in her hands and let her thumb gently graze her bottom lip. She then pressed her forehead against Maya's as the last wave of sobs ripped through her.

When Emily finally spoke, her voice was strained. "I thought I lost you and it almost killed me," she wept softly.

Maya closed her eyes tight, trying to keep from completely breaking down. She opened them slowly before she spoke. "I am so sorry, Em. I never wanted this, to hurt you like this. I wish I could have found another way…," her voice was now shaking and the tears that she had fought to hold back were now streaming down her cheeks. She took a deep breath and swallowed hard trying to regain some composure.

After a few seconds, Maya was calm enough to make another attempt at speaking. "I understand if you can't forgive me; I can't even forgive myself for what I've done to you. I just ask that you don't hate me; I wouldn't be able to handle that…" Maya was saying before she was cut off.

Emily pulled her head away, looking deep into her eyes. The look on her face was one of disbelief at what she was hearing. "I could never hate you, never. My God, Maya. Do you have any idea how much you mean to me, even now? You're everything to me. When I thought you were gone for good, my whole world crumbled. There were times I couldn't even breathe," Emily was saying until she saw Maya lower her eyes. She knew her words were tearing at her heart but that was not her intention. She wanted Maya to know how much she loved her; something she wished she had done before.

Emily, still cupping Maya's face in her hands, whispered, "Maya, please look at me." Without hesitation, she raised her eyes back to Emily's. Emily gently stroked her cheeks, whipping away a single tear that had fallen from her eye when she looked back up at her.

"I do have a lot of questions but I'm not going to ask them now. Instead I want you to listen. There are so many things I should have said to you a long time ago. When I thought you were gone, I regretted not saying them. I don't want to make that mistake again. So, I need you to listen to me," Emily softly cleared her throat and lowered her hands from Maya's face. She then gently pulled Maya's arms from around her waist and held her hands in her own, placing them on her own lap as she shifted her body toward Maya. She wanted her to grasp the seriousness of what she was about to say.

"Before I met you, I was so lost. I didn't know who I was or why I felt the way I did for Ali. I desperately tried to hide myself from everyone, even my closest friends. I even went to the extreme of dating Ben and letting my friends think that I slept with him just so they would think that I was really into boys. Ali knew the truth but taunted me with it. I was so scared and confused."

"And then, I met you and you changed everything. You made me understand that what I was feeling was completely normal and something I shouldn't be ashamed of but instead embrace. You told me it wasn't something I did or chose to do, but it was who I am. Even when I was still scared to come out, you never judged me. You were patient and kind. I needed space and you gave it. I needed a friend and you were there. When I finally decided to be honest with myself, I needed your forgiveness and you gave it freely. Maya, I know it couldn't have been easy for you but yet you stuck by me and supported me, and even called me on my BS when I was trying to hide. You changed my life and gave me the strength to be who I am," Emily took a breath before continuing.

"You are not just my first girlfriend, Maya. You are the first person who taught me how to live, I mean truly live and not just survive. The person that makes my heart leap at the sound of your voice; who can stir a swarm of butterflies in my stomach with just one look; who taught me that love isn't just a feeling or a word, it's actions. You were the love of my life. I mean, are the love of my life. The other half of me that makes me complete; my soul mate," Emily trailed off while moving closer to her. "I love you so much, Maya," Emily uttered the words just above a whisper.

Maya lowered her eyes again. She felt herself crumbling under the weight of Emily's words. She was so brave to say the things she said, so bold. She had always admired Emily's courage, even more so now. Maya loved her so deeply but couldn't tell her. They can't be together and Maya knew that. Still, she had to say something. She raised her eyes again and opened her mouth to speak when she felt Emily's finger pressing delicately against her lips.

"I didn't tell you all of that for response. I just needed you to know what you mean to me. I couldn't let the chance pass me by again," Emily smiled sweetly at her.

Maya returned the smile even though her eyes were still glistening with tears. "So now what?" Maya asked innocently.

Emily looked down at their intertwined fingers. Without looking back up she asked rather shyly, "Will you hold me for a little while?"

Maya chuckled softly as she watched that all too familiar blush creep over Emily's face. _My girl._ She thought fondly as she let go of Emily's hands to take off her hoodie. She then removed her boots and laid on the bed, patting the spot beside her, signaling Emily to join her.

Emily didn't hesitate. She kicked off her heels and crawled up the bed toward Maya. She had an overwhelming urge to climb on top of her and kiss her passionately but resisted it. Instead, she laid down next to her and put her head on Maya's arm with her back to her.

Maya took her free arm and wrapped it around Emily's waist. She pulled her closer to her and nestled her face against the side of her neck and shoulder. They were both thoroughly exhausted from the emotional torrent of the evening and soon drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

**Meanwhile…**

Aria, Ezra, Hanna, Caleb, Spencer, Toby and Paige were all sitting around the dinner table, finishing up their meals and getting ready to divvy up the bill. "No, no. This is on me," Ezra announced.

Aria looked at him and was ready to protest when she was cut off by a gently kiss on the cheek. "I got it," Ezra whispered against her cheek before pulling away. "This is the first time that I got to hang out with all of you at once so it would be my honor," he pointed out.

At that point, no one protested but happily accepted his generosity with multiple "thank you" and smiles. As the waiter was taking Ezra's credit card, Paige got his attention.

"I'd like to place an order to go," she informed the waiter who began writing down the things that she pointed out on the menu. The waiter nodded and went off to place the order and take care of the bill.

"Hmmm. That wouldn't be for Emily, would it," Spencer asked with a knowing smile.

"As a matter of fact, it would be," Paige answered with a smile of her own.

"Why!" Aria asked with wide eyes, startling everyone with her sudden outburst. "I mean, why bother her? She's probably asleep right now. She was feeling pretty exhausted and sick. Shouldn't we just let her rest?"

Paige thought about that for a moment. _Maybe Aria is right_.

"I think it's a thoughtful gesture and I'm sure Emily will appreciate it," Spencer smiled again at Paige.

Aria was grateful that Spencer was sitting right next to her so no one could see her foot land on Spencer's. Spencer winced but didn't look at Aria.

Toby noticed the sudden flash of pain across Spencer's face but no one else did as they finished their food. "Are you okay?" he asked a little concerned.

"Just peachy," she smiled at him before turning to glare at Aria. Aria's eyes were wide and her lips were pressed tightly together.

Ezra noticed the look on Aria's face but didn't comment. He knew her well enough to know that something was going. He also knew that she would tell him later because it wasn't for anyone else's ears.

Aria suddenly stood up. "I'm going to the ladies. I'll be right back," with that she turned and headed to the bathroom.

Next it was Spencer's turn. "Good idea, me too," Spencer announced. "Hanna?" she asked interrupting her conversation with Caleb.

"What?" Hanna asked taken off guard because she hadn't been paying attention.

"The ladies room before we get on the road?" Spencer asked with a fake smile and intense eyes.

Hanna knew that look. "Yeah, yeah. Good idea," she said as she rose from her chair and followed Spencer into the bathroom.

The guys all looked at each other and chuckled. "Aren't you going too, Paige? I thought all you ladies use the group bathroom excuse to go talk behind our backs," Ezra laughed.

"I don't have a man to talk about behind his back, so no," she teased.

Everyone at the table erupted in laughter because of her witty response.

**Meanwhile…**

"What is up with you and why did you stomp on my foot," Spencer asked point blank.

"Wait, she stepped on your foot?" Hanna started laughing.

"Guys, this is not funny! Paige is going to Emily's house but we got to stop her," Aria whispered frantically.

"Wait a minute; what? Why?" Spencer asked suspiciously.

Aria swallowed hard before she began. "I wasn't supposed to say anything but I guess now I have no choice. Emily's not alone right now," she broke off while looking back and forth between Hanna and Spencer.

It took several seconds before realization hit Spencer. She looked at Aria with wide eyes and her hand covering her mouth. She pulled it away briefly. "You mean…" she didn't need to finish.

Aria nodded her head slowly. "Yep," was all she said.

Hanna was looking at both of them, trying to figure what the hell was going on. "Okay guys. You can clue me in anytime now. Who is Emily with?" She was starting to get frustrated and feeling a little left out.

Spencer turned to Hanna mouthed, _Maya_.

"Maya? What would she be doing there?" Hanna asked confused.

Aria and Spencer glared at her with frowns on their faces. "Really Hanna? Why don't you just announce it to the entire restaurant?" Spencer scolded.

Hanna ignored her, still trying to grasp the situation. Her eyes widened with sudden understanding. "Holy crap! We have to warn Emily," she practically yelled.

"Shhhh! I'll call her now. You two go out there and stall her," Aria instructed them. With that Hanna and Spencer quickly left the bathroom while Aria punched in Emily's number. To her dismay, the phone went right to voice mail. She left a quick message, "Emily, it's me. Paige is on her way to your house right now," she spoke hurriedly into the phone. She ended the call and frantically typed a text to her: **Paige is on her way to your house right now!**

As Aria was exiting the bathroom, she ran into Spencer and Hanna who had worried looks on their faces. "Did you get a hold of her?" Spencer asked hopeful.

"No, it went right to voice mail so I left her a message and sent a text. Is Paige still here?" Now Aria had the same worried look on her face as her friends did.

"She was gone by the time we came out of the bathroom," Hanna started biting her thumbnail.

"This is bad, this is really bad. Okay, wait. Maybe we are getting worked up over nothing. Emily may not even answer the door. Right?" Aria asked trying to convince herself that every thing will be fine.

"Let's hope not," Spencer answered while turning and heading back to the table with Hanna right behind her.

"Come on Emily, please read the text," Aria prayed under her breath as she followed behind them.

**Meanwhile…**

Emily stirred, slowly opening her eyes. She would have been convinced that tonight had been just a dream if not for the feel of Maya's body pressed against her, the smell of her hair and skin, and her arm wrapped around her waist. She could hear her breathing softly and knew she was still asleep. She didn't want to move. She felt so safe and warm in her arms, like nothing in the world could touch them. She always felt that way with Maya.

Emily lay there contemplating what to do about the growing desire to turn to Maya. She wasn't sure it was a good idea but she wanted to look at her and hold her back. She finally mustered up the courage to turn herself in Maya's arms. She moved slowly and carefully so that she wouldn't wake her up.

When Emily was resting comfortably against her, face to face, she gazed up at her. Her eyes roamed Maya's face, starting from the top of her brow to the delicate curve of her neck. After a few moments, she needed more. She wanted to feel Maya's soft skin beneath her fingertips. She slowly lifted her hand and began delicately tracing the contours of her face.

Maya tightened her arm around Emily's waist and snuggled closer to her. Emily knew that she was still asleep and that it was just one of her quirks. Maya loved to cuddle, even in her sleep and Emily loved that. She smiled at the sleeping girl and placed a kiss on her forehead.

The feel of Maya's skin against her lips was all it took for Emily to lose her senses. Her desire for Maya was burning deep inside of her and she couldn't contain it any more. She let her lips graze lightly and slowly across her skin, trailing them down the bridge of her nose where she left a gentle kiss on the tip of it. She moved her lips further down until they hovered just above Maya's.

With her eyes lingering on Maya's beautifully soft lips, Emily traced her jaw line with the tip of her finger. She remembered how wonderful her mouth tasted, like fresh peaches or sometimes, ripe pears. She missed that so much. Unable to hold back any longer, she pressed her lips against Maya's in a sweet and longing kiss.

Maya's eyes fluttered open. Her heart rate quicken as she realized what was happening and Emily noticed. Without looking up into her eyes, Emily continued to trail her lips from Maya's lips, down to her chin and along her jaw line, leaving delicate kisses as they moved. Emily moved her hand down Maya's shoulder and along her side until finally resting it on her hip.

With one smooth and seamless movement, Emily pushed forward while tightening her grasp on Maya's hip and rolled her onto her back. Emily was now half way on top of her. She moved her leg slowly up Maya's legs until her knee rested on her pelvis. All the while, her lips continued to explore downward along the curve of Maya's neck. No longer satisfied with just feeling Maya's skin, Emily wanted to taste her. She let her tongue glide across the delicious surface, leaving a hot wet trail down the curve of her neck to the top of her collarbone.

Emily smiled when she heard a soft moan escape Maya's lips. Maya couldn't take much more of this. She was teetering on the edge and knew that she would go tumbling over at any minute. She tried to ignore the fiercely passionate aching spreading throughout her entire body. "Emily, I think I should go…" she barely managed to breathe out as she placed her hand on Emily's shoulder and gently tried to push her away.

Emily slowly made her way back up Maya's neck until her lips once again hovered over hers. She tightened her grip on Maya's hip and pulled her body tighter against her. She let her warm breath coast over Maya's now trembling lips. "I think you should stay…," she whispered less than an inch away from her lips.

Maya shuddered and Emily could feel her tremble slightly. "Em, we can't…" She wasn't even able to finish her sentence.

"Shhhh…" Emily whispered again but this time with her lips sweeping lightly along Maya's.

Maya couldn't take it anymore. All her inhibitions came crashing down around her as she surged forward and captured Emily's lips with her own. Emily moaned into the kiss while letting her tongue sweep along Maya's lips, desperately needing to taste her.

Maya parted her lips inviting in the delicious tongue that taunted her. Without hesitation, Emily accepted the invitation and slid her tongue past Maya's supple lips into her mouth, finding her tongue instantly. Their tongues reacquainted themselves with each other as they rolled, massaged, tasted, and caressed and stroked one another.

Their kiss intensified as they pressed their bodies together, an agonizing need threatening to consume them. Emily reluctantly broke the kiss, pulling back slightly. She smiled when she heard Maya groan at the loss of contact. Emily brought her hand back up to Maya's face and traced the outline of her lips with her thumb. "I've missed you…," she whispered.

The action was so sensual that Maya lost it. She slipped her hand behind Emily's neck and pulled her forward, kissing her hard. She pushed her body forward, rolling Emily onto her back and maneuvering herself so that she came to rest between Emily's legs.

Maya broke the kiss so that she could look into Emily eyes. Emily breathed in sharply at what she saw in the brown eyes looking down at her. There was no mistaking it. Her intensely passionate love for Emily burned in her eyes like a consuming fire. "You are so beautiful, Emily," she whispered with such seduction that Emily lifted her head forward, taking her lips with her own.

After a few seconds, Maya pulled away and moved her lips over Emily's chin and down her neck, nipping, licking and sucking the wonderfully sweet golden skin. Her tentative tongue moved even further down, tracing the collarbone and making its way to the supple skin just above the fabric of Emily's dress.

Maya trailed her fingertips down Emily's neck to her shoulder, until it reached the strap of her dress. She slowly slid the strap down her arm while her tongue continued to swirl patterns across her chest, followed by gentle nipping and soft kisses. Emily arched her back allowing Maya to effortlessly pull the top of her dress down.

"Oh, Emily…" Maya was breathless as she slowly pulled her dress down, gliding over golden skin and perfectly rounded breast that were barely hidden by a black-laced strapless bra. She lowered her lips to the supple skin just above the top seam.

Emily tangled her hands into the soft locks in front of her and moaned when she felt Maya's exploring tongue twirling beneath the top seam of her bra. Emily arched her back again so that Maya could remove her bra, desperately needing to feel her warm mouth on her.

Before Emily realized what was happening, Maya was off the bed and standing in the middle of the room with her eyes focused on the bedroom door. Without warning, she lunged forward, locking it then backed away slowly.

"Maya, what…" Emily began but quickly fell silent as Maya raised her hand slightly, signaling her to stay quiet. Emily strained to listen. She didn't hear anything. Suddenly light streamed into the room from underneath the door. Emily jumped off the bed and stood next to Maya.

"Your mom?" Maya asked in a low voice.

"No, she's in Texas until Monday," Emily whispered unable to hide the fear in her voice.

Maya took hold of Emily's hand as her eyes scanned the room for some type of weapon. She could feel Emily stiffened as the sound of footsteps got louder and closer to her door. Emily nearly screamed when the turn handle began to jiggle. Maya moved Emily behind her, ready to face who ever it was. They would have to get through her to get to Emily. At the very least, she would slow them down enough to give her time to get away.

"Emily? Are you awake?" Paige's voice came through the door followed by several soft knocks.

Emily exhaled with relief but only for a moment. _What is she doing here?_ She thought to herself, feeling very annoyed by the interruption.

Maya let out a breath and turned to Emily. She quickly helped Emily pull her dress back up before grabbing her boots and hoodie. She stopped in front of a now frowning Emily. "Em, nothing can change. You can't act differently with her," she warned her gently.

"But, Maya…" Emily began saying, a little confused now.

"No buts, Emily. Nothing can change. Treat her like you always have, before you knew about me. Okay? Promise me, Em." Even though she was whispering, Emily knew that Maya was absolutely serious about what she was saying.

"Okay, I promise," Emily sighed.

"Thank you." Maya quickly placed a kiss on her lips. "I'll just be in there, waiting," she smiled playfully at Emily while motioning toward the closet.

Emily shook her head and smiled back. Her smile fell when she heard the knocking again and Paige speaking through the door. She looked over at the closet and saw that Maya had disappeared into it and closed the door. She turned back toward the bedroom door with a sigh. _This is so wrong. Maya shouldn't have to hide. I hate this!_ Emily shook herself out of her thoughts because she could feel the anger rising in her at the whole situation.

Emily smoothed out her dress and ran her fingers through her hair. She took a deep breath and crossed the room to the bedroom door and opened it. Before she could say a word, Paige walked right pass her. Emily turned on her heels and flicked on the light. She then crossed her arms and looked at Paige questioningly.

"Paige, what are you doing here and how did you get in," Emily asked, uncrossing her arms.

"The door was unlocked which is very dangerous, Em. With everything going on, you can't afford to be absent minded like that," Paige gently scolded her.

"I didn't… Never mind. What are you doing here?" Emily asked again.

"I figured you probably haven't eaten so I brought you some food. Plus, I really didn't want to go dancing after dinner. I was already feeling awkward being the only one without a date. So, here I am," she exclaimed, smiling brightly.

Emily walked toward her, stopping a few feet away. "Look, I appreciate it, really I do. I just want to be alone tonight, get some rest. That's all. Can I see you tomorrow?" Emily didn't have to force the tiredness in her voice because it was genuine. She was tired of this whole situation and wanted to get back to Maya.

"You know what, Emily? I'm not leaving until you give me some honest answers. Less than a week ago, you wanted to spend every possible minute with me. You know my dad hardly ever lets me out of the house ever since what happened. And now, I'm here and you want to see me tomorrow? What am I missing?" Paige was starting to become upset.

"Nothing. Can we just talk about this downstairs, please?" Emily did not want Maya hearing this conversation.

"Downstairs? Now you don't even want to be alone with me in your bedroom? It never seemed to bother you before. In fact, last time I checked, you were more than happy to have me here. Well, more to the point, in your bed. So what's changed?" Paige asked.

"I already told you that nothing has changed but I really don't like the way you're talking right now so please stop it," Emily said with a hint of anger in her voice.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I'm just so confused right now. Last weekend, we were sitting on a blanket after a long run in the woods and you were so happy. You told me that it was because of me that you felt so peaceful. You poured your heart out to me, telling me how lucky you felt to have me and how much I meant to you…" Paige was saying before Emily cut her off.

"I know what I said! Why can't we talk about this later? I'm too exhausted right now. I don't have the energy to reassure you the way you want me too," Emily snapped at her. She wanted Paige to stop talking because she didn't want Maya to hear this.

Paige was taken back by Emily's reaction but suddenly felt bad for pushing her. "Okay, Em. Okay. I didn't mean to push. We'll talk about it another time. Okay? Will you at least let me stay with you while you eat what I brought you? I promise I will leave you to rest right after. I just want to make sure you eat something. Deal?" Paige offered softly.

Emily knew that it really wasn't a choice. If she said no, Paige would start talking again and there's no telling what she would say. If she agreed, at least she would get Paige out of the room and into the kitchen. She really didn't want to leave Maya but there was no other way to get Paige to leave. Emily decided to take Paige's offer and eat as fast as possible so she could get back to Maya. "Deal," Emily sighed.

Paige walked toward her with a smile. She pulled Emily into her arms kissed her. Emily hoped that it would be a quick peck and that's it. She was wrong. Paige held her tighter and slid her tongue into her mouth, deepening the kiss. Emily knew she had no choice but to respond or risk another argument. _Maya, please don't be watching, please don't be watching, please, please, please._ Emily was mentally panicking as Paige's hands began to roam her back. She was getting more and more into the moment, and Emily knew she had to stop it now. She refused to go any farther.

Emily pulled back and looked into Paige's eyes. "I am starting to get my appetite back. Can we eat now?" She asked sweetly.

"Are you sure it's for food?" Paige teased.

"Yes," Emily replied while raising her eyebrow and smirking.

"Fine, let's eat then," Paige answered a little disappointedly but none the less happy that Emily had agreed to let her stay a little while longer.

Emily took her by the hand and led her out of the room and down the stairs.

Maya leaned against the closet wall with her head back and eyes closed. _What the hell am I doing? This isn't fair to Emily. She's jumping through hoops to lie and that's not her. Emily was never very good at lying so eventually, Paige is going to figure something out. She's already way too suspicious. There's too much at stake. Not to mention, I'm making Emily cheat and she's not a cheater. And what about Jenna? She doesn't deserve that either. Damn it! I can't do this!_ Maya knew what she had to do next. As much as she didn't want to, she had to.

Please review.


	9. Chapter 9

Hi everyone! Thank you for all the reviews and the encouragement to continue this story. You all have been great and I really do apologize for the long wait. Please enjoy!

_Maya knew what she had to do next. As much as she didn't want to, she had to. _

Maya waited until she heard the last sound of footsteps disappear down the hall before slowly opening the closet door. Because Emily had left the light on, she bent low to the floor so that no shadow could be seen by anyone who may be watching the window. She moved over to Emily's desk and quickly found a notepad and pen. She hesitated with the tip of the pen hovering just above the sheet of paper. _What am I doing? Why don't I just tell her that nothing can happen with us? This is so cowardly but will Emily really let me leave if I wait and tell her face-to-face? If the roles were reversed, would I let her leave?_ She was becoming increasingly frustrated as so many doubts about what she was doing started to flood her.

Maya ran her fingers through her hair, letting them curl and tighten around a few locks at the nape of her neck. She stared off thoughtfully for a few minutes before putting pen to paper and scribbling her message to Emily. As the pen stroked out the last words, Maya dropped it and gripped the paper while the fingers of her other hand tighten around her locks of hair. She knew this was going to hurt Emily. She hated this but what was she suppose to do? Staying would hurt her far worse; not to mention ruin the entire plan and put everyone else in serious danger. No, this was no time to be selfish, and staying with Emily would be.

Maya released her grip on her hair and used both hands to smooth out the sheet of paper. She was moving faster now; she had to get out of there before she changed her mind. She put the pen on top of the paper and moved away from the desk towards the bedroom door, remaining very low to the floor, and opened it as slowly and quietly as possible. She strained to listen to get a sense of what part of the house Emily and Paige were in. She heard Emily mention eating so they were probably in the kitchen, which meant she would have to use the front door instead of the back. That was very dangerous but what wasn't dangerous about this whole situation?

Maya inhaled deeply and made her way out into the hall, closing the door gently behind her. Her movements were slow and steady as she moved along the wall, careful to avoid bumping into any pictures or mirrors. Once she reached the top of the stairs, she peered around the corner and listened intently. She could hear their voices but faintly, which told her that they were definitely not in the living room or front hall. In a flash, Maya was moving down the stairs along the wall, avoiding the center of each stair as to not cause any creaking sounds; and was standing on the bottom step just before the landing within in seconds.

She stared thoughtfully at the front door for a moment. _How am I supposed to open that without them hearing it?_ Maya wondered to herself. She remembered that the front door bolt made a distinct sound when it was moved so she knew they would hear it. Biting her bottom lip and carefully considering her options, she was suddenly hit with an idea. She had to create a loud enough noise to drown out the sound of the bolt as well as any other sound the door might make. She pulled out her disposable cell phone and punched in Emily's house phone number. Suddenly, the high pitch sound of ringing filled the house. She didn't have to worry about Emily leaving the kitchen to answer because she knew the kitchen had a wall phone.

Maya moved with each string of ringing, freezing in place at every pause. Before Emily could reach the phone, Maya was out the door, ducking around the side of the house and heading toward the backyard while hanging up the phone and slipping it into her pocket. She moved swiftly, almost soundlessly, making her way around the edge of Emily's yard to the edge of the yard of the neighboring house. She stopped when Jenna's house came into view. Maya noticed that Jenna's car was the only one parked outside which meant her parents weren't home, and she already knew that Toby was out with Spencer and her friends.

Maya hesitated but only for a minute. She pulled out the cell phone again and dialed Jenna's cell. It only took two rings before she answered. "Are you home alone? I need to see you," Maya spoke softly into the phone. She waited for an answer, and then continued, "You know what to do." She hung up the phone and waited. One by one each light in Jenna's house went out. Maya sighed and lowered her head briefly before raising it again and making her way to the back door of Jenna's house.

Back at Emily's house, Emily stood frowning at the telephone receiver, listening to the sound of a "dead tone." She hung up the phone and felt a nauseating wave of anxiety rush through her body almost immediately. Something was wrong; she felt it. That wasn't the usual "call and hang up" kind of call; something was definitely wrong. She needed to get Paige out of the house now and get back up stairs.

"Emily, is everything okay? You look spooked. Who was on the phone?" Paige asked walking toward her.

"Nobody; wrong number. Listen, thank you for dinner and stopping by to check on me. I think I should get some rest now. I'll call you first thing in the morning; I promise," Emily smiled gently at her.

Paige looked at her curiously for a second. "But you didn't even finish your food," she pointed out.

Emily sighed, "I'm full and honestly can't eat another bite. If I do, I'm afraid I won't be able to hold it down," she looked at her meekly.

Paige couldn't help but give in to her. She reached for Emily's hands and held them tight. As much as she didn't want to leave, she also didn't want to keep pushing her. She pulled Emily close and lightly kissed her. Pulling back slightly, she whispered simply and almost sadly, "Good night." With one more delicate kiss, Paige let her hands go and turned to head out of the kitchen but stopped to let Emily lead the way.

A fleeting feeling of guilt washed over Emily. Paige was only trying to take care of her and she was dismissing her like some sort of stranger. She paused momentarily until the feeling of anxiety that hit only moments ago, came flooding back. She quickly grabbed Paige's hand and led her toward the door. She tried not to appear rushed but the anxiety was growing. She stopped when she noticed that the bolt on the front door was unlatched but the lock on the handle was secured.

Emily snapped around to look at Paige. She wanted to ask her if she left the bolt unlatched but was afraid of the answer and the questions that would follow if she said no, so she quickly unlocked the lock on the handle and opened the door. Emily's mind was racing frantically as dread started to replace the anxiety in her gut. She could no longer hide her anxiousness to get Paige out of the house. She leaned forward and gave her a rushed kiss and lightly ushered her out of the door.

Once on the front porch, Paige turned to her with a slightly confused expression until Emily flashed her gorgeous smile. Paige couldn't help but smile back. She shook her head with the smile still in place and waved good night to Emily before turning and walking down the stairs.

Emily waited until Paige got into her car and drove away. Once she was out of sight, Emily closed the door, locked it, and bolted up the stairs, taking two at a time; all the while screaming in her head, _No, no, no! Please no!_ It seemed like an eternity before she was finally standing in front of her bedroom door. She knew deep down what had happened but hoped with all her heart that she was wrong. _Please, Maya…be here, please…be here._ Emily reached for the door handle, turned it quickly, threw open the door, and rushed into the room. She stood still for a moment as the overwhelming feeling of aloneness hit her so hard she almost stumbled backward.

Emily steadied herself and slowly walked over to the closet. Peering inside, her heart dropped. Maya was gone. Emily's shoulders slumped as she lowered her head, feeling the lump rising in her throat bringing with it a suffocating feeling of helplessness.

Emily lifted her head and looked around the room. She knew Maya well enough to know that she probably left a note or something. A piece of paper torn from her notepad laying on her desk with a pen on it caught her attention. She walked toward her desk and as she got closer, she recognized Maya's handwriting on the paper. She grabbed the note so fast that the pen went flying into the air then landed on the floor. She gripped the paper tightly with both hands as she read.

_Emily,_

_I'm glad we finally got a chance to talk and spend a little time together, no matter how brief. Now, I need you to do something for me. Remember what I told you and trust that this is the way it has to be. In time you'll understand. I can't say much more until that time comes. Until then, be careful, trust your instincts and look out for your friends. Y ou will all need each other more than ever sooner than you think. We'll talk again soon. Take care._

That was it. The note ended just like that, leaving Emily more confused and frustrated than before. Why did Maya leave? Was it because of Paige? But she is the one that insisted that Emily act as if nothing had changed between her and Paige. So what did she do wrong? Was it the things that Paige said? The kiss? Emily could feel the stinging in her eyes as hot tears started to fill them. They weren't tears of sorrow or sadness like before, but of pure anger and frustration.

Emily slowly backed away from the desk with the piece of paper clutched in her fist. When she felt the edge of the bed against her leg, she threw herself backward onto it. She stared up at the ceiling letting her mind fumble through the events of that night. Suddenly sitting up with a jolt, she took the piece of paper in both hands and read it again. She actually read it twice before tearing it into pieces and throwing the pieces across the room.

_Fine, Maya! If this is what you want, then this is what you'll get but not the way you want it. If you won't come to me willingly then I'll force you to. It's time I have a say in all this. _She knew that Maya still loved her. She saw it in her eyes; felt it in her touch; tasted it in her kiss. No, Maya wasn't going to call all the shots this time and neither was anyone else; not when it came to her and Maya. Emily felt a renewed confident determination. Now, she just needed a plan…

**Monday morning at Rosewood High…**

Emily leaned against her locker waiting for the lunch bell. She decided to leave class early to try and get her thoughts straight. She was going to make her first move and had to make sure that it made an impact. She should have been feeling nervous but she wasn't. She was more angry and fed up than anything else. Emily tapped her foot waiting for the bell. She was suddenly startled by the sound of loud clacking coming down the hall. She turned her head in the direction of the sound and saw Hanna racing toward her.

"Em, what's going on? Why did you leave class? Are you okay?" Hanna asked worriedly.

"I'm fine. I just have something to take care of; that's all," Emily answered without feeling the need to go into detail.

"Does this have anything to do with Friday night? You know, the whole Paige showing up at the wrong time thing?" Hanna whispered trying to be as quiet as possible.

Emily furrowed her brow. "How do you know about that?" She asked a little annoyed because she had a pretty good idea that she knew the answer.

"Come on, Em. Don't be mad at Aria. She kind of had no choice. We are all just worried about you," she stroked her friend's shoulder sincerely.

Emily sighed. She knew her friends genuinely cared about her and Aria wasn't just gossiping, so she wasn't mad at her. "I'm not mad but there's something that I need to do and I don't want to drag you guys into it, because I have no idea what's going to come of it," she said thoughtfully.

Before Hanna could respond, the bell sounded and Emily was off and heading toward the cafeteria. She followed as quickly as she could but Emily was moving fast with determined strides and Hanna was clacking awkwardly behind in her new high heels.

Emily reached the cafeteria and immediately scanned the room. She got in line and grabbed a tray, although she had no intention on eating but didn't want to call attention to herself. She got her food and headed toward her usual table. As she arranged the food on her tray, her eyes continued to scan the room. She barely noticed when Hanna sat beside her slightly out of breath.

"Em, what the hell…?" She started to say until Spencer sat down across from them. Hanna shifted her eyes to Spencer and gave her a look that made her frown.

"Am I interrupting something?" Spencer asked suspiciously.

"I'm not sure. Let's ask Emily," Hanna countered, crossing her arms and turning her gaze to Emily.

Spencer turned her attention to Emily who wasn't listening to either one of them. She was still scanning the room and absent-mindedly arranging things on her tray. Spencer reached over the table and put her hands on Emily's to stop her from moving around and hopefully get her attention. "What is going on?" She asked an obviously distracted Emily.

Emily looked at Spencer then at Hanna. "Guys, nothing is wrong. I just need to handle something and I need you to give me space to do it," she said almost frustrated.

"Let us help, Em. We're not going to let you face anything alone. You know that, right?" Aria's voice came across comforting as she sat next to Spencer and put her tray down.

Emily softened at the genuine loyalty she saw in her friends. She wasn't trying to shut them out but she didn't want them to pay if her plan had negative consequences. She opened her mouth to explain this to them when the sound of laughter snatch her attention away. The laughter came from the very person she was looking for.

Jenna sat about three tables away with her minions, including Noel, surrounding her. Emily watched as she waved her hands while talking and smiling like she didn't have a care in the world. Emily was about to change that. She knew she couldn't approach her just yet; not with so many people around, so she waited.

Aria, Hanna and Spencer noticed Emily's gaze fixed on Jenna. Aria was the first to speak. "Emily, don't do anything crazy. This is not the place or time," she pleaded.

"What happened between you two that night that has you ready to go after Jenna? Which, by the way, is not a good idea," Spencer warned.

Emily kept ignoring her friends but not to be rude. She just couldn't let them talk her out of what she was about to do. Suddenly, Jenna stood up and said something to the people at the table and walked toward the girl's bathroom. In no time, Emily was on her feet and heading in the same direction.

"Oh, no…" Aria whispered as her eyes widened and her mouth fell open.

"Here we go…" Spencer shook her head.

"It's on! Let's go!" Hanna whispered excitedly and quickly rose to her feet.

None of them bothered to collect their trays but instead quickly made their way to the bathroom. Noel noticed what was happening but didn't let on to the others at his table. An angry frown formed on his face because he didn't like the fact that Jenna was about to be bombarded. He couldn't do anything though without drawing attention, so he sat back in his chair, staring at the bathroom, brewing with anger.

Jenna, completely unaware of what was about to happen, pulled her lipstick out of her purse and began touching up her lips. She stopped suddenly when the bathroom door went flying open and Emily stormed in. She stopped several feet away and glared at her. Jenna didn't turn around but simply looked up at her through the mirror. She then slid her ring finger along her bottom lip, smoothing out the lipstick that she just applied. A wicked smile formed on her lips as she did this.

Within seconds the bathroom door swung open again and Hanna, Spencer and Aria came rushing in, stopping just behind Emily. Their eyes locked on Jenna's reflection in the mirror. "Hmmm," Jenna mused while placing the cap back on the tube of lipstick and rubbing her lips together. She puckered her lips in the mirror and met Emily's eyes. With a smirk on her face, she turned her head toward the girls that were standing on the other side of the bathroom. Her eyes hardened but the smirk never left her lips. "Get out," she demanded in such a sweet yet commanding tone that the girls quickly grabbed their things and scurried out of the bathroom.

Jenna turned to face Emily and her friends while leaning back against the sink. "Yes?" She asked with fake innocence.

"I want to see her," Emily took a step closer to her, causing Jenna to stand up straight.

"It doesn't work like that," Jenna growled, the smirk slowly being replaced by a snarl.

Before Emily could speak, Hanna held up her hand to silence her. She then went to each stall and pushed the door open to make absolutely sure that no one was in the bathroom with them. When she was satisfied that they were alone, she went to Emily's side. "That's what you should have done that morning at the Grille," she taunted Jenna with a smirk of her own.

Jenna was not amused but kept her anger at bay. "Clever, I'll keep that in mind," she responded while rolling her eyes at Hanna.

"I said, I want to see her," Emily interrupted the battle of wits. Her only concern was getting to Maya.

Jenna turned her attention back to her. "And you assumed that I would help with that? Not going to happen. I don't want you anywhere near her," she seethed while taking a step toward Emily. "You have done nothing but put her in danger from the moment she met you. Make no mistake, I don't like you and couldn't care less about you but for some reason that escapes me, she does. However, you are trying my patience. Back off, Emily. I won't let you suck her in again. There is nothing that I won't do to protect her. Count on that," Jenna warned in a tone that could chill the blood.

While all the girls stood astonished by the pure hatred emanating from Jenna, Emily wasn't deterred. "I would never hurt her! And the reason that her feelings for me escape you is because she knows that. You know nothing about what's between us! And you make no mistake; I'm not giving up on her and I'm not backing off. If I have to have this same conversation with you every day, I will. I'm not letting her go again so either take me to her or bring her to me. The choice is yours," Emily stood her ground with complete faith in what Maya felt for her.

"Emily, Emily, Emily! You truly amuse me sometimes!" Jenna laughed while clapping her hands together. "But only sometimes…" her laughter suddenly shifting into something else that sent chills up Emily's spine. "It's almost heartwarming how you can confidently declare your loyalty to her. Yet, you lied to her constantly, chose your friends over her time and again, and never really cared about the things that she cared about. It's always been about you, never her. You hid her away like some dirty secret and she was patient but it hurt like hell. Believe me, I know. I held her when she missed you and was confused. I wiped away her tears," Jenna spoke trying to control her own emotions as she remembered those moments.

"You know…" Jenna began, unconsciously taking another step toward Emily. "The night of the Homecoming dance is what I remember the most. She was so excited that you wanted her to go; it's all she talked about. I wasn't going to go but I knew that she would need me there. I heard Toby talking about taking you and knew. I probably should have warned her but she needed to see for herself what I already knew. I asked her if I could tag along and she was happy to say yes. I knew she would be; that's just Maya," Jenna smiled almost fondly while looking down at the floor before raising her eyes back up.

"We showed up that night and Maya took me over to some seats over by the game area. She asked me to give her a few minutes so that she could find you. She wasn't afraid to introduce me as her friend because she didn't want to hide anything. She was happy that you were coming around so she wanted to be completely honest about everything. When she came back, I heard the sadness in her voice even though she tried to hide it. I couldn't see her face but I knew if I could have, I would have seen the disappointment and pain," Jenna knew her voice was starting to shake. So she stood up straight and raised her head.

"So there it is, Emily. I held her that night. I reassured her that there was nothing wrong with her. I told her what kind of people you and your friends are. Yes, Emily. She knows what you guys did to me. And silly me, I thought she already knew. I found out that night just how much she didn't know. How you can claim to love her yet keep those things from her is beyond me. I won't let you hurt her again which I know you will. When this is all over, you'll have a choice to make and I'm sure it won't be her. It usually isn't," Jenna's eyes suddenly hardened.

"Stay the fuck away from her because if you don't, I swear I will make you sorry. If you think I resented you all before, you haven't seen anything yet," Jenna's contempt was almost stifling.

Emily was almost paralyzed by what she was hearing. _Oh God. Why didn't I see what was happening to her? Is Jenna right?_ Emily was losing focus on why she had confronted Jenna in the first place. It should have been her holding Maya not Jenna or anyone else. Emily stepped away, taking her eyes off of Jenna and focusing on the floor. She felt like she was just hit by a 15-ton truck. How didn't she notice?

Spencer rushed to Emily's side and placed a supportive arm around her. "Is this really necessary? You are so damn heartless! Emily was only trying to protect her by not telling her about certain things. And as for the rest…" Spencer was suddenly cut off.

"Trying to protect her? Bull! Emily did nothing but make her vulnerable. She had no idea what or who the hell to look out for to protect herself," Jenna spat.

"Emily was dealing with a lot back then and she was trying to protect her! I hate that you're speaking for Maya because I know that she understood and that's why she stayed with Emily. I doubt you know her as well as you think," Hanna's anger was growing by the second.

Jenna smirked. "Trust me, I know her better than any of you, including Emily. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but; no actually I enjoy it," Jenna corrected herself. "Maya has made her choice so I'll make sure it stays that way," Jenna smirked. "That's right Emily. I know about the other night. We don't keep secrets from each other; we know each other too well for that."

Emily, now extremely angry, pulled herself away from her friends and stood only inches away from Jenna, towering over her. "I bet Maya doesn't know this side of you. Hateful and wicked," Emily challenged her.

Jenna glared up into Emily's eyes while rising up onto her toes to get closer to Emily's face. "Trust me. Maya knows every inch of every side of me," she whispered while licking her lips as she rested back on her feet.

Emily could feel the rage exploding inside her. She wanted to put her hands around Jenna's neck so bad but didn't dare. Maya was the only thing keeping her from tearing Jenna apart. Emily had never been the violent type but Jenna was taking her to that place. Emily's thoughts were interrupted when Hanna lunged forward.

"You bitch!" Hanna's anger had finally reached its boiling point. Emily quickly moved in front of her, cutting her off.

"Careful, Hanna. I'm not blind anymore," Jenna warned while glaring over at her.

"Good! Now you'll see the smile on my face after I slap the…" Hanna went at her with her hand raised only to have it caught in mid-air by Emily. Just then, Emily noticed Paige standing in the room by the door. With all the commotion, she didn't notice her walk in.

Emily felt panic rise in her as she looked over at Jenna who didn't seem bothered at all. She let out a breath of relief because if Jenna wasn't worried than she knew Paige must have just walked in and didn't hear much.

"Is everything okay? Em, are you alright?" Paige asked concerned by the fact that Emily's hand was holding Hanna's in mid-air. Both Emily and Hanna looked over at her and immediately dropped their hands.

Jenna shifted her gaze to Emily. "You really need to take care of your own business…" she whispered in a throaty growl while glancing over at Paige. "…and I'll take care of mine…" she purred seductively while licking her lower lip. She backed away from Emily and smirked at the anger she saw in her eyes. She winked and waved her hand at them. "Bye ladies," she mocked as she strolled toward Paige. She stopped right next to her. "Emily could really use some attention. She's so uptight lately. I'm sure you can help with that," Jenna sounded almost sincere. She smirked again and made her way out of the bathroom.

"What is going on?" Paige asked as she walked toward Emily.

"Nothing. It's not worth talking about," Emily declared while trying to walk past Paige.

"Oh, no. Not this time," Paige blocked her path and held her ground. "I walked in and saw you holding Hanna back from hitting Jenna so don't tell me it's nothing. And what did she mean by taking care of your own business?" Paige demanded; this time not backing down.

Paige looked at the other girls who were all trying hard not to stare at them. "Can we have a moment alone?" she asked them with a hint of annoyance. It did not escape her that none of them moved but instead looked to Emily for permission.

As much as Emily did not want to deal with Paige at that moment, she remembered Maya's words, _"Nothing can change."_ Emily looked over at her friends and nodded her head. On cue, they quickly made their way out of the bathroom. Paige turned to Emily, ready to ask some questions when a group of girls came in. "Get out!" Paige growled in a voice that startled even Emily. The girls turned around and went right back out the door. Paige wasn't an "It Girl" but she was still well known as one not to be toyed with.

Paige once again turned her attention to Emily but her eyes were soft and warm with no sign of the girl that just scared the hell out of a group of girls. "Please Em. Tell me what's going on. Is Jenna harassing you? I swear if she is…" Paige was immediately cut off.

"She is not harassing me. She's just being Jenna. I can handle her. I always have. Promise me that you won't get involved."

"Why won't you let me protect you? I can make her stop. Trust me, I can. Emily let me in, please?" Paige was close to begging at this point.

Emily stumbled back a bit. "Paige, promise me that you'll stay away from her. I need you to promise me that," she pleaded again but this time with certain sternness.

Paige hesitated for a moment then decided to probe deeper. "Not until you tell me why. Why do you want to protect her now? I care about you! I don't give a damn about her! If she's coming after you, she is in for a rude awakening. I won't let her, _A_ or anyone else hurt you or come between us!" Paige was seething.

"If you care about me at all, you will stay away from her," Emily spat, now becoming angry.

"What is with you? You're acting just as strange as you did the other night. Now, all of a sudden you care about Jenna? She tortured you! She hates you and all your friends and you know that! Emily, what the hell is going on?" Paige was starting to become flustered.

Before Emily could respond, the bathroom door opened again. Paige had no patience at that point. The young girl walked in and looked at Emily and Paige and quickly shrank back by the look in Paige's eyes. "Sorry," she muttered as she ran from the bathroom.

Emily turned to Paige. "I swear if you go near her, we are through! I don't need your protection. I want to handle her on my own. I'm the reason she hates me, not you. It's not your fight; it's mine. I will deal with her; I have to," Emily's anger was now showing. She knew that if anyone interfered, she could lose Maya for good. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew that Maya cared about Jenna and an attack on her would only push Maya further away. If she had to protect Jenna to get to Maya then so be it.

Paige took a step back. The hurt in her eyes was undeniable. "Em, I'm only trying to protect you," her voice was breaking.

Emily moved forward, wrapping Paige in her arms. "I know but I need you to trust that I can handle myself. Can you do that for me?" Emily pulled back, looking into her eyes.

Paige gave in, feeling defeated. "Yes," she whispered.

Emily hugged her tighter and held her for a little while.

**Meanwhile…**

Jenna was back at the lunch table, ignoring Noel who was frantically trying to send her signs. He wanted to know what had happened.

Aria, Spencer and Hanna had been watching Jenna ever since they left Emily alone with Paige in the bathroom. Jenna had her phone in her hand obviously texting someone. What was Jenna up to?

When Paige and Emily emerged from the bathroom holding hands, Jenna just smirked but continued texting and ignoring Noel and everyone else.

Suddenly the bell rang and everyone started putting up their trays. Jenna didn't bother. Instead, Noel grabbed hers and put it up. She got up and started heading towards the exit with Noel right behind her. As Emily walked hand and hand with Paige out of the cafeteria, Spencer decided to follow Jenna. Hanna paused wondering if she should but ultimately decided to follow behind Spencer. Not surprisingly, Aria was right on her heels.

With all the excitement, no one noticed that one person wearing a black hood move into the girl's bathroom. The hooded figure swiped a black-gloved hand under the bathroom sinks, obviously looking for something. A smile formed on the hooded figure's lips as a finger brushed against the desired object. The hooded figure pried the object from its hiding place, then turned and left the bathroom, completely unnoticed.

The girls got to the parking lot and looked around but didn't see any sign of Jenna. They turned to go back inside but stopped when they heard murmuring of voices that sounded like they were coming from the parking lot adjacent to the far east-side of the building. Aria put a finger to her lips and made her way toward the side of the building. Spencer and Hanna followed close behind. Aria suddenly stopped and turned to glare at Hanna. "Take them off!" She whispered annoyed.

Spencer turned toward Hanna, knowing exactly who Aria was talking to. Hanna rolled her eyes and slipped off her high heels. "Fine!" she whispered at them, also annoyed.

Aria shook her head and continued toward the edge of the building along its side. Once they got close enough, they peered around the corner to see Jenna standing at someone's driver side window with her arms crossed. They wouldn't have been able to see who it was even if Jenna had not been blocking their view because her car was parked behind her which obstructed their view of the other car. They strained to listen but could barely make out Jenna's voice.

"How the fuck was I supposed to predict this?" Jenna was thoroughly irritated.

"Calm down and lower you voice. Just fix it. I don't care how determined Emily is. Stop acting like a God damn amateur. These are kids for God's sake! You're losing it, Jenna. Just keep this in mind, if you fail, Maya's dead. That's it and nothing that we've done will make a damn bit of difference," the unseen figure growled. "Fix it! I'll handle things on my end. Spencer and her little friends will be dealt with," the figure reassured her.

Jenna paused momentarily before she spoke. "Don't hurt Emily…" she said cautiously.

The figure turned to her. "Excuse me? Since when do you care about Emily?"

"I don't but Maya does. I'm just afraid that she'll turn on us if Emily gets hurt," Jenna lowered her eyes as the realization hit her again; Maya still loved Emily.

The figure knew what Jenna was afraid of. "You're right. Maya has to go…"

"Don't even fucking think about it!" Jenna seethed with anger flowing through every fiber of her being. "I swear to God…" Jenna's anger was getting the best of her.

The figure spoke up quickly to reassure Jenna that hurting Maya wasn't even a thought or an option. "None of us will allow anything to touch her. You should know that by now. Haven't we all sacrificed to protect her? We want her alive just as much as you do. You may not believe that but look what we've done for her," the figure tried to reason with Jenna.

Jenna looked at the figure with scrutinizing eyes. "I protect her because I love her. You do it because you want something from her. Don't you ever compare yourself to me. I can't fix this on my own so it's time you step up and fucking do something, yourself," Jenna exclaimed done with the conversation.

Jenna turned her back on the figure and started to walk away. Aria, Hanna and Spencer inched back a bit so that they would not seen.

"We need to lock Maya down until the time is right. You know that. Even you said that Emily's relentless and Maya is not making things better by contacting her." Jenna stopped abruptly and swung back around at the seriousness she heard in the figure's voice.

"So what's the plan? What's next?" Jenna uncrossed her arms.

"I'll make the call to the others. We need to talk. I'll arrange the place and time but Jason stays out of this one," the figure said while throwing the vehicle into drive and speeding off. Jenna turned her back and headed toward her own car. She was done with school for the day.

Hanna, Aria and Spencer ducked behind the side of the building as the figure's car went speeding in their direction before making a sharp turn to exit the parking lot. They poked their heads around the corner again just in time to see the side of the driver's face. "Melissa…"

**Later that night…**

Maya emerged from the bathroom wearing a white plush robe with her head down as she dried her hair. A hot, relaxing bubble bath is exactly what she had been craving for the last couple of days. She was still in a little bit of a daze from the other night. She was so lost in her thoughts, that she didn't notice the hooded figure sitting in the corner across the room.

The hooded figure pulled out a miniature recorder, pressed play and set it on the small table next to the chair. The hood figure smiled while watching Maya slowly raise her head, letting her soft wet locks fall down around her shoulders. Maya was about to open her robe to put on some clothes when she suddenly froze at the sound of Mozart Requiem wafting through the air. She turned in the direction of the music to see the hooded figure. A chill ran up her spine but she didn't move.

The figure slowly rose and moved gracefully toward her, seemingly gliding on the notes of the music. Maya stood her ground, defiantly as the hooded figure got closer. Now, only inches away, the hooded figure slowly reached up and pulled back the hood. "Hello Maya…" Mona purred with a devilish grin.

Please review. Things will progress rapidly over the last few chapters. With every storm, the tides will change…


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